Operation Spectre: Into the Breach
by Kelly Wolf x22x
Summary: Earth is in ruins. As the Federation struggles to reform, the ragged remnants of Starfleet face a threat unlike anything since the Dominion War. A small crew and a secret ship may be their only hope.
1. Chapter 1

It was a small bar called The Dark Moon. Located in the sprawling refugee assistance area that had sprung up outside the outer areas around ShirKahr, on the planet Vulcanis II in the 40 Eridani system. Samantha Waters, or Sam to her friends, had been told to only wear civilian clothing that would blend in and to look for a man named Tull. Her clothing still looked rather new, so her efforts to blend in were unsuccessful. Tull had been described to her as an animalistic looking man that was a canine equivalent of a Caitian. She expected to see something with big fangs and a long snout. What she saw was very different.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the bar, she saw all manner of unsavory characters and each seemed to be sizing her up, as if she were suddenly on the menu. Her eyes caught the figure of a large man standing in a back corner and staring at her. Slowly working her way back, she threaded her way past the tables. As predicted, he was easily mistaken for a Caitian, because of the shape of his nose and how it blended in smoothly to his face. The strong jaw and shape of the front of the skull did show the hint of the genetic heritage, but he was actually more comforting to look at than she had been prepared for. His face looked almost human with a nearly invisible layer of fine hair that covered the skin. The animalistic aspects of his appearance were very subtle indeed.

His large arms were folded across his barrel chest in an imposing way and he looked at her as if debating if he should let her live or die. She opened her mouth to speak and he spoke first, his deep voice startling her a little, "I know who you are. Take a seat inside."

He stepped aside to reveal that he was standing guard in front of a narrow access to a corner booth that had a curtain in front of it for privacy. She cautiously stepped forward, parted the curtain with her hand and entered. Sliding onto the bench seat around a table, she saw the woman she had been briefed about, but never seen before. Her new Captain wore no rank, but looked tired and her leather jacket still had blood stains on it that now permanently darkening the leather.

Sam timidly began, "You must be…"

"No names. Not here."

The woman's hair was as dark as Sam's, but appeared longer, even in the braid that was draped on her shoulder. She had looked up from her drink just long enough to speak.

Sam felt like a girl in her first day of school, "Oh…sorry…um…"

In a little softer tone, the Captain replied, "Don't worry about it, just try to say as little as possible for now. We can save the meet and greet for once we're out of here."

Sam nodded slowly, "Oh…of course…"

Another couple entered the bar and began looking around. Trying to blend in was something that was next to impossible for Kathryn O'Clierigh. Even though she was wearing an old engineering outfit, complete with tool belt and grease stains, her vibrant red hair and pale freckled skin always stood out in a crowd, no matter how much grime covered it. Scanning the room with piercing green eyes, she didn't know what was going on, and was frankly irritated. She had been sitting comfortably in her office, working on a new concept for cybernetic limbs, when the strange but very specific orders came from higher up that sent her to this seedy bar.

Kat looked up to the man next to her, "Harrumph. Of all the places to wind up…still I suppose this could have been worse." Her voice carried a thick Irish accent as she looked around. The man's name was Valentine Winters and he only nodded, mildly amused. A faint whirring could be heard from him as a soft red glow came from his left eye. He stood only a few inches taller than her but the way he carried himself made him seem taller.

He said to Kat, "Oh come on now love, this place isn't so bad. You should visit a Klingon tavern sometime. You think the Irish have a reputation for drunken fights? Those boys make the Irish look like choir boys." A smile crept across his face as the whirring continued.

With a tilt of her head, Kat said, "Found him. Boy they weren't kidding about the animalistic side. Let's go and play nice."

Valentine led the way, drawing his duster around him. He looked like something from the Earth's Wild West days, with his well-worn leather duster over black denim pants, combat boots and a leather shirt. His jet black hair was tied in a short ponytail in the back. There were two knives visibly strapped to his legs and one in the left boot. He walked with an air of confidence, perfectly at home in this place. Making his way to the back he looked at the Canid man, named Tull. Kat followed behind as the men exchanged a mutual look of evaluation.

Tull placed a firm hand on the man's chest and leaned in close, as if examining him in great detail. The hand had short but sharp looking claws. The action had stopped Valentine cold in his tracks, Tull's hand feeling like it was made of stone. Pausing long enough to look for a long moment at the man's eye and then glancing over Kat, Tull lowered his hand and gestured with a thumb that they could move behind the curtain too.

Giving Tull a look as he moved through the curtain, Valentine made out a weapon magnetically attached to his back. Of all possible weapons, it appeared to be some form of short handled battle axe. It was engraved with a number of symbols and had a hand made look to it, leather wrappings and all. The blade was dark from use and if the man didn't have a keen eye for catching such details, it might have easily gone without notice.

He thought as he joined the two women already seated, _Big, strong and armed, I would hate to dance with him._ Kat stood off to the side and crossed her arms, a look of contempt on her face as Valentine sat down. He leaned back and crossed his legs, setting his feet on the table and crossing his arms behind his head.

He asked as he looked at the two women he had not met yet, "We all here or are we waiting on more company?" One seemed rather timid and looking very out of place. The other woman, however, seemed perfectly at ease in a place like this.

 _I'm going to have to watch her. Keep frosty Valentine._ Though he appeared perfectly relaxed he was ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Sam had slid over, making room for the newcomers. She gave a shy grin, but said nothing, looking nervous and maybe a little confused. She did a double take and began looking closely at the man's eye when he sat down next to her. Surprisingly, she smiled and did her best to hide it with her hand, but then struggled to look at anything but his eye.

The Captain took a sip from her drink and locked the new man with what could best be described as a thousand meter stare, daring him in some unspoken way. She then glanced at his feet before locking eyes with him again, no hint of a smile to be found on that pretty face. He took the hint and put his feet back on the floor, where they belonged.

There was a soft beep and the woman pulled out a small communication device. A quick glance at it and her face darkened even more. Putting it away, she started sliding out and said, "Let's go."

Tull heard her and said in a low tone, "What about…"

She shook her head sharply and cut him off with, "He's dead."

Tull gave a curt nod, then took point and began clearing a path to the door. Sam struggled to keep up. She was going to mention needing to get her things, but they seemed to be heading that way, so she kept to herself. Continuing to say as little as possible, she felt it best to do as she had been told.

They walked into the shuttle landing area, and headed directly toward Sam's civilian shuttle, where there was an Andorian woman already giving it a preflight. Raising a finger, Sam began, "Hey, what's she doing to my…"

Tull ignored Sam and spoke to the Andorian woman in a deep growling voice, one hand smoothly sliding around at his waist to the handle of the weapon strapped on his back, "What's your name?"

The Andorian woman looked warry and replied, "Talea, but listen, whoever you are, I have very specific…"

Tull gave another quick nod, "Good answer. We're your cargo. You have 30 seconds to get us in the air."

They all hopped onto the shuttle and Sam finally spoke up, "How did you know this was my ship?"

Tull replied over his shoulder, "You have something difficult to transfer, yes?"

Sam nodded and pointed to a small dark box on the deck, near the rear hatch, "Please be careful with it."

It was strapped to the deck with a small grav-sled under it, hinting that it was much heavier than it looked. Tull simply smiled, but in doing so, for the first time, he showed his large canine teeth as they peeked out from their well-hidden place in his mouth. Sam tried to smile back, only looking more scared in the process. Tull rolled his eyes in return and hit the button to close the hatch behind them.

Talea sighed as they rushed to take off, but not before noticing who was with them. Glaring at Valentine she pointed and said angrily: "What the hell is he doing here?!"

He looked at her and shook his head, "Listen Smurfette, we can argue about this later, but judging from this pretty lady's reaction and her guard dog over there, I would say we are expecting some nasty company, so can we get this bucket of bolts off the ground and save killing me for later?"

Talea glared at him for a second longer and then headed for the cockpit. "Sit down, strap in and shut up. I swear you come near me Valentine I will use one of your famous karambits and change your gender. Are we clear?"

There was suddenly a frantic rapping sound on the hatch. Tull moved to it and opened it. There was a male Vulcan standing very close to the door with a weapon pointed at Tull and he ordered, "Get out of the vehicle."

With amazing speed and not a hint of hesitation, Tull reached out and grabbed the weapon from his hand with one hand and pulled the man inside with the other hand, "No, you're coming with us."

Tull's hands had moved like striking vipers. He threw the man inside the shuttle hard enough against the inside wall that there was a crunch sound and the man fell to the deck like a ragdoll, stunned from the ferocity of the swift attack. The impact had nearly crushed the storage locker and green blood was already beginning to flow from the mauled hand that had been holding the weapon. In a single fluid motion, Tull reached to the small of his back and pulled his weapon, slashing the man in an upward arc from crotch to chin, a splatter of green blood hit the ceiling of the shuttle as cast off. The Vulcan's organs spilled out of the gaping wound and onto the deck as their wide eyed owner struggled in vain to hold them in, unable to draw breath or scream. A tremor ran through the dying man as the puddle of green blood swiftly covered the floor.

Tull's reaction demeanor was calm as he said in a conversational tone, while closing the hatch once more, "We're clear to launch."

Sam covered her mouth with a hand as Tull wiped off his blade on the sleeve of the dead man, "You didn't even find out who he was?"

Tull stared at her a moment and then replied, "He's part of the isolationist movement and he followed us from the bar." He then leveled his weapon at her as he narrowed his eyes, "Now you start talking fast, because you don't smell right for a human and I may not be done with this axe yet."

Her eyes suddenly went wide, her hands held out in front of her defensively, "Wait! Stop! You're right, but…I…it's the prosthetics you smell. I was badly injured. I've had…um…procedures…it's complicated, but…"

Tull looked at the Captain and asked, "Kelly, is she on the level?"

The Captain finally gave a hint of a grin and nodded, "She's telling the truth. I never thought of it as she's describing it, but yes. I was curious if you would pick up on it. Nice to see you haven't lost your touch, big fella."

Tull slid his axe back in place and gave a sniff to the dead Vulcan, "He stinks."

Sam blurted out, "Everyone stinks when you spill their guts all over the deck, you big…"

Tull spun around, but instead of snapping at her, he laughed, "Well, so you DO have a spine. Nice to know."

She made a fierce looking scowl, "I certainly never intended internal organs to be used to decorate my shuttle."

Kelly broke in, "It won't be a problem."

Looking around, the Captain finally said, "I'm Captain Kelly Longbow. You've met Lieutenant Tull here. Sorry about how we had to do this, but it's the nature of things these days. This is your new normal, so get used to it."

Leaning over Talea's shoulder, Kelly tapped in coordinates, "That's your destination." It was in the middle of nowhere, on the way toward the main star in the system.

Taking the opportunity, and following the example of her new boss, Sam said, "I'm Lieutenant Samantha Waters, but my friends call me Sam. I'll be lending a hand with scientific matters." Pointing at the strange dark box with one soft, blue light in the center, "That is a specially designed computer core that will help to allow me to access systems in the ship and initiate new holographic interfaces. I'm sorry it is such trouble, but the material is it made from and the defensive systems it employs prevent being able to use the transporter to bring it aboard. Sensors can't lock onto it, but that also keeps an enemy from stealing it."

Kat had watched Tull with rapt interest in how casually he handled the adversary. It did sicken her a little when he spilled the guy's guts, but from what she gathered this was a black op. Even she knew, being in the Corps of Engineers, black projects sometimes meant getting your hands dirty.

Seeing as introductions were being made she spoke up next, "Lieutenant Katheryn O'Clierigh, but everyone calls me Kat. From what I was told, my job is to keep whatever we are going to be flying in one piece. My superiors will tell you I am a bit of a miracle worker when it comes to machines, especially experimental technology. And that..." She said hiking a thumb at Valentine, "...Is Lieutenant Valentine Winters, who thinks he's the galaxy's gift to women."

Valentine put his hands up and gave a cocksure grin, "Is it my fault women find me charming and attractive? I just go with the flow. As for orders, I was told to report to Miss Longbow and her guard dog there, to be used to the best of my abilities, as they see fit."

There was slight contempt in his voice as his left eye seemed to pass over everyone on the shuttle quickly. He didn't like the idea of not being given specific parameters other than keep the project and its members safe, as well as a few contingency orders. Valentine sighed and leaned back.

Kelly commented with a devilish grin, "Mister Valentine, did someone actually tell you that you're a gift, or is this something you're presuming on your own? I'm just wondering who's judgement I should be questioning is all. Kat, I think it's safe to say that you're going to enjoy your new home. I'll give you the nickel tour once we have a minute."

The Andorian woman began, "Lieutenant Talea Vong, I specialize in piloting, security and ground tactics. If you need to repel boarders or want top security for an away team, I'm the one you call." Her white hair was cut in a pixie style and she smiled at everyone except Valentine, then adding, "If you ever need, Captain, I will gladly drop him out an airlock if he ever steps out of line."

Kelly smiled and replied, "If it comes to that, I'll do it myself, but I promise that I'll let you watch."

Tull looked down at the remains of the Vulcan on the deck, "Security is something I take very personally, both on and off the ship. We'll have to discuss individual abilities to see how they might best be used."

Kelly's tone turned to a more conversational one, "Listen, the fact that you're in this shuttle and not lying next to the Vulcan, means that you have a skill we think we can use. Someone else thought so too and put your name in the hat. It doesn't matter who, but if you're not prepared to be part of my team, then you should speak up now. We're in the business of doing the impossible. Our missions are very secret and as a result, our lives are secret as well. You're joining us because people were killed on a mission and you're taking their place. That's not always the case, but for now you can presume that it is."

Tull joked, "Wait, I thought there was only one Security recruit, which one do I kill?"

Kelly chuckled, "Tull, play nice. You get one for busting heads and the other is going to help with piloting and will go to Tactical. We'll figure it out."

Tull replied, "I say we let them fight it out and I get the winner."

Kelly replied, "More like I would let them dogfight in the holodeck and Tactical gets the winner. They both look like they would not go quietly in a hand to hand fight. 'Legs' is a great test pilot, but she favors a fighter. She's quite lethal, but we need more than one hot-shot at the helm and weapons. This is a team effort and no matter how well you can carve people up, if we're shot out of the sky, it is all over in the flash of a damaged warp core. Don't worry about it for now. There's a reason you're not Captain, that's my job."

Looking at Sam, Kelly said, "Waters, you going to be alright?"

She nodded and waved a hand, "This cloak and dagger bit was a little unexpected. I'm sorry I shouted, but I wasn't prepared for…" She took a deep breath, "I've had to kill people before, I just hadn't been briefed that it was going to be this kind of pick-up. I had no idea…" Her look became more serious, "This is the reason that you need good solid intel briefings. You need to know what to expect so that you're prepared for all possible variables."

Tull looked at Sam and growled, "Agreed."

They reached the coordinates and Talea brought the ship to a stop. In front of the ship, she saw something odd about the stars. She narrowed her eyes, straining to see what it was. There was a thin slit of light, changing shape, and it looked strange. She then realized that she was seeing the open bay of a cloaked ship. The shuttle was then caught by a tractor beam and being pulled in.

Kelly commented, "Ah, our ride is here."

A few minutes later, they were inside a small shuttle bay. As they stepped out of the shuttle and the grav-sled was brought off, Kelly said to a crew member that greeted them, "Set the shuttle to fly too close to the solar flares within one of the restricted lanes of traffic. We need it to be destroyed."

Sam began to protest, "I thought…"

Kelly turned to her and quickly clarified, "I said it wouldn't be a problem…and it won't be. We want people to think those who left the planet are now dead."

Sam gave a sigh, "Dang, I really liked that shuttle too."

Kelly raised her voice and said to the small group, "Welcome to the USS Spectre. She's an experimental variant of Defiant class. We tend to run cloaked more often than not and we can get where we want to be faster than any other ship I'm aware of."

Sam asked, "How long can you maintain maximum warp?"

Kelly gave a big smile, "Well, you're used to that answer being warp 8.7 as max cruise or 9.5 for 12 hours, and in emergency warp 9.9 for 10 minutes before a forced shutdown. On this ship, we can maintain warp 9.8 for 12 hours, but if we're going to do that, we bump it up to warp 13, since it takes the same amount of power to maintain. Warp 11 or 12 can be held longer. To put that in perspective, getting across the 20 light years of a sector would normally take just under 4 days, but for us, we are capable of doing it in just a few hours."

Kelly gave Kat a playful grin, "Do I have your attention yet?"

Sam was staring wide eyed and slack jaw, but managed, "You're serious?"

The crewman that finished programming the shuttle stepped off it and said to Sam, "Did you want to say goodbye to your shuttle?"

Sam barely took notice and replied to him, "Screw the shuttle, I need to hear more about this ship!"

Kelly laughed, "Well, let's get you all settled in and then meet in the Briefing Room. You have 15 minutes. Tull, you've got some blood next to your nose."

Tull effortlessly licked at both sides of his mouth with his large canine tongue, cleaning himself of the beads of spattered green blood. He then made an unpleasant face and said, "Vulcan blood always has a bitter aftertaste, but at least it isn't as bad as Klingon."

Valentine chuckled at Tull's comment. "My good Sir, there is little that isn't as bad as Klingon. Which way to our quarters?"

When Tull pointed him in the right direction he headed off. As Kelly said they had fifteen minutes and he wanted to stow what few posession he had brought with. It was a short journey and to Valentine's surprise the room he was given already had some of his things in there. Apparently someone knew him well enough to have it set up for him in advance.

He commented to himself, "Well that is just unsettling…and means I am getting predictable. I'll need to work on that." He tossed his duster onto the top bunk and took off the small pack he was wearing. A fresh uniform was waiting for him and it looked like so far he was the only one in the room. Valentine chuckled. The Defiant class was the definition of a military vessel and compared to other classes it was Spartan in its accommodations. He had to wonder if the ship being experimental as Kelly had mentioned, was minimally staffed. He figured that would explain the room being empty, which suited him fine. Valentine got changed and headed for the briefing room.

As he was leaving he saw Kat also coming down the corridor in a clean uniform.

"You clean up nicely. I was beginning to think those grease smudges were birthmarks."

Kat simply shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Always the sweet talker. I can see why some of the ladies fall under your spell. Now get your butt in gear. I have a feeling the Captain isn't exactly the patient type."

She walked past him and headed for the turbolift, eager to find out exactly what they were going to be doing. She couldn't wait to get down to Main Engineering and get to work. With an experimental propulsion system AND a cloak, she felt like she was dreaming.

Sam saw her small black box delivered into her quarters. She glanced around and with a wave of her hand, her clothing transformed into a crisp new uniform. She gave a critical look around. She would give the place a makeover later. For now, she placed a small device in the corner and it slowly began replicating small tiles on the walls around itself. With a smile, Sam then headed to the Briefing Room.

While the new arrivals were finding their way around the ship, a young Trill Lieutenant was busy in the Science Lab. He had been going over some of the data that the Captain had sent him to look at concerning their next "mission". With the Federation in tatters, it was difficult to discern what an actual mission was anymore. He picked up his PADD and entered some information. As he did, he caught his reflection in the instrument. He stared at it for a long moment. He realized, now, that he would never see himself as he had before the joining.

Alorian Dax. Commander Alorian Dax. She was so well known on the planet of Trill. She had done so much and been so widely respected. How does one simply take that history on? Commander Dax had been on a diplomatic mission for the Federation when her contingency was attacked. She escaped, but she was fatally wounded. Morian placed his hand on his abdomen where the previous host had been shot. The Doctors had been able to keep her alive long enough to find another Trill to take her place. Morian had been that volunteer. The whole process had been done quickly and he was still learning to adjust, just as Alorian had done, when she became the host.

He shook his head at the memories that would flood him from time to time. There were so many memories of the other hosts before him, but it was Alorian's memories that seemed to come the most, as they were still on the ship she had served on with Captain Longbow. They had been together for a really long time. He was honored to be here, but he wondered how it would go. The young man, age 24, as fresh from the Academy as one can get, but with the knowledge of someone at least 200 years old. He had blondish brown hair and deep blue eyes. He looked down at his new uniform with the Lieutenant insignia. It brought him a little measure of pride. He would continue her story, but it would be their story and he was excited to see where it would go.

A chirp on the computer let him know that the Captain was back on board with her new additions to the crew. He was curious to meet them and find out exactly what it was that they were going to be doing. He grabbed his PADD and left the lab, his pulse quickening with his youthful curiosity.


	2. Chapter 2

Kelly stopped in briefly on the Bridge. She casually stepped in and told Lt. Lauren Langston that she was back, but was going to be busy in the meeting. Giving a new course to be laid in, she clarified, "Stay cloaked and bring us to warp four. This system is pretty busy right now and I don't want to attract any attention by leaving a warp trail that stands out."

Langston instantly complied, but then stopped Kelly to ask, "Captain?" Kelly paused and turned, giving her respected crew member her attention as the Lt. hesitated, but had to know, "Is it all true? Is it confirmed?"

Kelly knew exactly what was being asked and with a sober expression, she gave a nod and replied, "Yes, I'm afraid it is. I'll send out an intelligence briefing soon. I'm sorry. There are countless refugee areas, scattered across several sectors, so even if I don't want you to get your hopes up, there is still perhaps hope to be had."

Langston took a deep breath and looked away, "Thank you."

The Captain knew that every single crewmember on the ship was in some way affected by what had happened, but it was her job to keep things moving and hold the crew together. She said no more for the moment and headed off to the Briefing Room.

As Kelly entered the Briefing Room, she saw that Tull had already arrived. He was standing next to his chair, looking over some data on a PADD. There was a simple acknowledgement tossed her way, "Hey boss…" He had barely looked up from whatever he was scrolling through. She didn't say anything in return. They had become fairly informal over the years. She didn't want to break his train of thought. If what he was staring at was holding his attention that intently, it was better that he finish it without interruption.

She strolled over to the small replicator that was in the corner of the relatively cramped room. Unlike the luxurious feel of most ships, with their spacious accommodations, a Defiant was forced to cram everything into a small amount of space. The Briefing Room was no exception. After a couple of key strokes it produced her cup of coffee. She let out a long sigh as she raised it to her lips and took a sip. It had been a busy day, and was still far from over.

The door swished open and in stepped the Chief Science Officer, Morian Dax. He glanced around and asked, "Where are the new guys? You didn't push them out the airlock already, did you?"

Kelly chuckled, "No, but Tull threatened to kill your new assistant."

Mori gave a disappointed look to Tull and scolded, "Tull! Come on now, we've talked about this."

Kelly continued, "He said he didn't like the smell of her."

Tull looked like a child being talked about by his teachers in class, mumbling, "She didn't smell like a human should. How was I supposed to know she had prosthetics? She still didn't smell right to me. It wasn't a wrong smell, it was that there wasn't enough smell."

Mori gave Kelly an odd look and Kelly smiled back, "I'll explain it later."

Tull gave a narrow eyed expression of disapproval, "I can't do my job if you keep secrets from me."

Kelly's look turned more sympathetic and she said, "Roll with it for now. You aren't wrong, but I need to respect her privacy issues for now. That's a very personal issue and I don't feel right being the one to discuss it first. That needs to come from her."

Tull gave a small grunt, "What's the big deal? Your smooth talker has a cybernetic eye, at the very least, maybe even more. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It isn't like people think of them as Borg anymore. The fear of those days is behind us now."

Kelly sipped her coffee and slowly began to walk toward her seat, "Very true, but I still need to respect her right to be the one to bring it up, unless it becomes a mission priority."

Tull gave up, "The way you people dance around such things drives me crazy. I'll leave it alone for now."

Mori looked at Tull and was lost in a flood of memories about the man. Alorian had watched him for years and sometimes had been envious of how he didn't pretend with his feelings. He was often brutally direct, but that raw honesty could be refreshing. He tended to say what he meant and didn't pull his punches. At the same time, she had often thought of him as a very smart version of the family dog. He was loyal beyond question and would not hesitate to kill in defense of his family. His empathy and ability to read a person was almost like a Betazoid at times.

As if to punctuate that thought, Tull looked at Mori and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Mori snapped back from the trip down memory lane and returned to living in the moment. Blinking briefly, he replied, "Sorry, I was just thinking about how long I've known you. Even though I am as young as I am, the part of me that has known you as part of this crew has known you for almost 20 years. You guys are about the closest thing I have to family."

Tull gave a small grunt that was almost a snort, meaning he was mildly amused, "I understand what you're saying, yet I look at you and I think of how I am still getting used to the smell of you. You look like a stranger to me…yet…when I listen to your words, I know who you are. You're a strange creature, but I'm glad that you're still with us."

Mori grinned, "Thanks, I like you too. Don't forget, I know where your favorite spot is, to be scratched. You know the one. It makes your leg twitch."

Tull narrowed his eyes, "You swore you would never tell about that."

Kelly chuckled, "He actually has two spots." Tull tossed her a look that bordered on a threat, but Kelly quickly added, "Though he swore me to secrecy on that as well. I can't blame the guy for wanting to have a few personal secrets. I used to know a few places that Alorian liked having scratched as well, especially by that guy at the spa on Risa."

Mori raised a finger and said defensively, "Hey, at least mine was real. You like that holographic guy massaging your…"

Kelly swiftly countered, "Hey, his name is Antonio and he gives a great massage. I feel very relaxed when he is done."

Mori smiled and added, "You know, you never did let me borrow that program."

As Kelly talked, Mori was thrown into other memories of Alorian's. He remembered another person, named Thrawn, that she had a short but meaningful relationship with a long time ago. It had been decades since Alorian had been with him, but it had been a very powerful period for her. He had been lost to her forever as part of a temporal jump early in the development of the ship. That was something Kelly hadn't prepared her for back then, but it could not have been helped. It was a painful reminder for Alorian of what might have been.

Kelly gave a slight blush and said across the top of her coffee cup, "Well, there are some things I just don't like to share. I created Antonio and I like to think that he is all mine."

Tull cautioned, "One should be careful of making too close of an attachment to such holographic programs. I've never understood the use of them."

As they spoke, Sam walked in and stopped in the doorway, "What program is that? You would be amazed what can be done these days with programs."

Kelly took advantage of the moment and changed subject, "Oh, just one I use to massage out some stress now and then. Please, come in and take a seat. Did you find your quarters?"

Sam smiled and replied, "Yes, thank you. I've already started to personalize them."

Valentine had walked in behind Sam, though truth be told he had been listening in intently in the hall around the corner. He had wanted to see what he could glean from the conversation, but mostly he was just following old habits. When he walked in he shot a not so subtle flirtatious wink at Kelly, then looked at Sam and said: "Programs are great but nothing beats the real deal. If you ever need some tension relief let me know. I actually studied to be a masseuse in case my career in the fleet didn't pan out. Offer goes to any of you on the senior staff."

Tull continued to stare at his PADD, but commented, "I'm not sure how I would feel about you massaging me. I tend to be picky about who I let touch me."

When Valentine tossed Kelly the flirtatious wink, she only rolled her eyes and said nothing. She thought it was better to not even give it the credit of being commented on. She suddenly felt a bit like his baby sitter, which made her feel even older than she was.

Valentine made his way to the replicator and made himself a vanilla chai, inhaling the aroma then finding a place to sit. Unlike their first encounter, Valentine seemed to be more serious save for the flirtatious wink and to the Captain's amazement kept his feet on the floor.

He muttered, "I wonder where Kat ran off to? She was right behind me on the way."

As if on cue Kat walked in. Like Tull, she was carrying a pad and seemed totally absorbed in what she was reading. She stopped and looked up, a blank expression on her face, as if what she had read had put her in shock.

Valentine looked at her with a concerned expression, "You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I...I'm fine...I just..." Kat couldn't finish her sentence as she looked up at Kelly, the look in her eyes betraying some terrible information that had been imparted to her. The normally vibrant engineer seemed almost subdued as she sat down. She sighed and looked at Valentine, "I'm fine, but I am sure the Captain will discuss this during the briefing. I took a minute to jog to engineering to find my office and meet the some of my team. We'll talk more after the meeting."

Valentine simply nodded as his eye whirred again. He thought to himself as he leaned back, _She is seriously spooked. What is it that has her shaken so bad? Ah…I wonder if news finally got to her about the attacks. I guess we'll soon see._ He waited for the meeting to start, and to find out what his role on this ship was going to be.

Talea Vong and another woman were the last to enter and as they did Kelly felt it safe to open with commenting on the information that seemed to be bothering Kat, "Now that everyone is here, I'm going to rip off the bandage and get this over with…the rumors are true. Sol was attacked, which we already knew, but the extent of the damage is even worse than we had originally thought. To put it simply, the planet is currently uninhabitable. The Vulcans have been investigating the debris in the system and searching the planet for any possible survivors, but it is impossible to know anything for certain right now. We have access to the raw data, but there is so much to go through that…"

Sam spoke up, her voice almost timid, "What do you want to know?"

Kelly wasn't used to being interrupted so early in her briefings and gave an irritated look, "Excuse me? No, I said we have access to the data, not that we've gone through it."

Sam had retrieved a glass of water and taken her seat. As she sipped her water, she said in the same tone of voice, "No, I understood that part. I've already reviewed the data and can give you a preliminary report. I will need to confirm several conflicting elements, but given that some of it is eye witness statements and not sensor recordings, it is not uncommon for such small deviations to be found. What do you want to know?"

Realization dawned on Kelly and she sat back a moment considering the matter before inquiring, "How did it start?"

Sam looked at her glass of water a moment and then replied, "The Romulans dropped out of warp within range of the planet. Such a tactic insinuates there was some form of beacon in place that they warped in on, but that boarders on speculation. They began firing and the planetary defense platforms engaged. The Federation fleets reacted, reserves were brought in and a heated battle in orbit resulted. It is believed that the reserves were closer than the Romulans had planned for and were almost enough to turn the battle, but the Federation forces were too outnumbered. Once the Romulans were no longer taking heavy losses, a large Klingon fleet arrived. The focus turned from bombardment of the planet to an orbital engagement once more, allowing more people to escape from the surface."

Kelly nodded, "That explains the second wave of evacuation ships. Were the Klingons able to defeat the Romulans?"

Sam hesitated, "It's unclear. During the engagement, there were several boarding actions. A number of shuttles carrying warheads appeared and made suicide runs at ships, as well as ships detonating from internal damage inconsistent with damage inflicted from other ships. The chain reaction of several warp cores detonating within a very brief period caused a ripple effect. The planet was bathed in the shock waves and what wasn't killed outright, suffocated after most of the atmosphere was ripped away."

Tull gave a grumble of curses under his breath. The short woman that had entered with Talea, gave an audible gasp and then covered her mouth to silence herself, but a tear still made a small path down her cheek. Kelly calmly asked, "Where did the shuttles come from?"

Sam looked up and met Kelly's eyes, "Unclear…"

"What kind of shuttles were they?"

"They varied widely…"

"Do we have any readings on the pilots of any of the ships?"

"Inconclusive…"

Kelly's eyes narrowed now, "What do you mean inconclusive?"

Sam paused and then replied, "I mean that the current data is sketchy and it is hard to draw any conclusions from what we have. Some appear to have been unmanned, while others had varying degree of life signs on them with only a few showing defined life forms."

Kelly countered, "Of those defined, what were they?"

Sam replied, "Human…"

Kelly seemed satisfied and leaned back, her mind deep in thought. She absently asked, "How many shuttles are we talking about?"

The reply came, "At least 43."

Kelly locked eyes again, "How many?"

Tull spoke up now and added, "That's quite a suicide assault force. Where the hell did they come from?"

Sam blushed a little, "I'm sorry, but I don't have that information. The data reflects at least 43, but possibly more. The incoming warp trails are distorted by the high level of radiation from the detonations. I have a couple of trails, but they are from within the system. The points of origin are illogical and unconfirmed because of the damage to the sensors within the system by that point in the battle."

Tull looked around and said the obvious, "So there could have been even more than 43."

Kelly said, as if she were talking to the ship's computer, "Speculate on the number of shuttles used."

Sam tried to protest, "Captain, I don't feel…"

Kelly's tone turned more firm, "I said to speculate."

Sam was obviously uncomfortable with the situation, but after a moment replied, "Approximately 60 shuttles."

As Sam finished, Mori was brought back to reality. He was still getting used to how memories from past hosts would sometimes wash over him and consume him briefly as he tried to assimilate them with his own. Sam gave the Captain what was obviously some pertinent information on the attack of the Sol system and although he had heard it, it was only now sinking in. The room hadn't been that comfortable since everyone arrived. Now, it was positively electric.

Mori asked, "How long have you been studying this data? I have a brief introduction to it here and it doesn't cover these details nearly as well as you're pointing out. Have you been working with the Vulcans on this the entire time?"

Sam blushed and looked very nervous, hesitating before replying, "Um…no…I'm sorry…I…It's in the ship's database now and based on my access I've been given…I reviewed it on the way to the briefing…analysis is what I do…I thought…"

Kelly broke in and saved her, "Right, so she's a bit of a wizard when it comes to data." Sam smiled and gave Kelly a grateful glance before returning her attention to the PADD in front of her.

Valentine sat silent as the data was being reviewed. He had been told some of the information, knowing it might be relevant to his assignment to the ship. Kat sat there, looking shocked and numb. That was when it occurred to Valentine that her entire family had been on Earth. He remembered Kat telling him her family was from Ireland and save for a single cousin, all of her family lived on Earth.

Talea spoke up, "This doesn't make sense. If they were going to declare war on the Federation, Sol is a strategic target, but why didn't they hit other systems? Why didn't they target Vulcan, or Andor, or Tellar for that matter? If you wanted to cripple the Federation why strike at one key member why not all? This action has put the rest on high alert and though this was a crippling blow it was hardly a death blow. Also, I thought the relations with the Romulan Star Empire were improving? What would cause them to act this way?"

Valentine raised an eyebrow at Talea's astute observations, but it was Kelly that replied, "First of all, it makes perfect sense, to a point. It is a typical tactic for the Romulans to talk peace while planning war. Such deceptions are almost expected at this point. After all the centuries of various cultures dealing with them, this is more the norm than the exception. They were obviously secretly building a very large fleet, intended for destruction on this level. Given what they thought was the defending force, they should have been easily victorious. Someone must have gotten wind of the impending attack, and had ordered hidden defense forces to be standing by closer than the enemy anticipated. The Federation is always trying to stay in step with the covert operations being conducted against them, so in the world of spies, this is again no big shock."

Kelly paused before continuing, "You can't expect to take on everyone at the same time, so instead, they picked the biggest and best target to get their edge. They cut off the head of the beast they were facing. Yes, each of the others are powerful, but they also have a long history of fighting among themselves. Look how long they had been trying to combine forces, yet it wasn't until the humans from Earth managed to make things work and the UFP became a reality. They are now back to arguing about who should be in charge. Obviously, the current chaos was anticipated and would have been to their advantage. The big question that I have is who else is hiding in the shadows. The Klingons jumped in, but waited until they would have been the only survivor on the field of battle. Granted, that would have left all the glory for them, but that means they didn't so much try to come to our rescue as to strike the final blow to the Romulans. The bad blood between them goes back a long way…but that wasn't how the party ended."

Kat finally spoke up, bringing the topic back to basics, "I guess my question is what are we expected to do now? What are our orders?"

Kelly pointed at her and replied, "A very good question. I like that. You're direct and staying on point. One of the things that people are whispering about, but not sure about is what else happened besides the attack on Sol. The truth is that they didn't just attack Sol. There were attacks all over the Federation, but mostly efforts to disable stations, cripple outposts and destroy communications. They had mercenaries or spies, who knows who, but thousands of communications relays were destroyed across the entire Federation. This has isolated hundreds of worlds that depend on the Federation for supplies and protection. They are now unable to be heard from and are at the mercy of various pirates and warlords who wish to exploit them. It can take months for a signal to reach Vulcan from many of these worlds. As a result, there are ships that are working very hard to begin replacing the relays, but it will take time and they suspect that there will be people still trying to keep things as they are right now."

Tull commented, "It is going to be very difficult to bring peace and stability back to such places without a fleet to do it with. They're going to have to start building ships again."

Kelly nodded, "Yes, but it takes time to build ships, train crews and get back out there. This brings me to our current orders, though. To help speed up this process, they need some of the best minds available to help rebuild. We're being sent to a special colony to try and see if they are willing to help. Like everyone else, they've lost long range communication. Despite all efforts, the Vulcans have still not been able to make contact. Even with the delays, there should have been a reply and there has not. We're to go to the colony and establish a dialog with the community there on behalf of the Vulcan Science Academy and the Federation. We will even deploy a few secure relays to help establish a private link. I've already had our course laid in."

The short and curvy medical officer that had walked in behind Talea was staring at Sam with a puzzled look on her face. Her dark eyes were fixed on the woman as if she were trying to read something written across her features in very small print. When Sam noticed the stare, she didn't retreat from it, but instead gave a friendly smile and in a near whisper, extended a hand across the table and introduced herself, "Samantha Waters…"

Returning the smile, she accepted the offered hand with her own smaller one and replied, "Nancy Nichols, medical…"

Sam inquired, "Are you the Chief Medical Officer?"

Nancy wrinkled her nose, "Nah, I'm just filling in for the meeting, but I'm the closest thing we have to a ship's counselor, being the resident Betazoid and all."

Sam's expression showed the dawn of understanding, "Ah, yes. Perhaps we should talk, after the meeting."

Mori looked around the room at the people who had been assembled there. He didn't know everyone in the room, but it was clear that the news that Sol had been attacked and the possibility that loved ones might have been killed was a huge shock. He wasn't sure how to read most of them, as he was just meeting them, and he wondered just what their "particular" skills were.

When the Captain had finished informing them of their orders, Mori asked, "Captain, I would like to ask a little more about this special colony that we are going to. Specifically, what would you like us to do until we get there? Where, exactly, is it we are going? What type of colony are they? Would it not be prudent for us to begin putting together some probes to send out along the way to find out who else is out there? As you have stated, the Federation is in chaos right now and we should find as many survivors as we can to at least point them in some direction that would be of benefit."

He paused, taking a deep breath, and then continued on..."I can see from this room that each of us brings to this group a particular set of skills to maximize the success of the mission, but I am unsure of what that is exactly. I am not trying to get you to break Operational Security, but I think we need to know a little more than what is being said."

Mori turned and looked at Sam and added, "As soon as this meeting is over, we're going to have to have a little conversation about exactly HOW you do what you do." Sam looked wide eyed at Mori pointing to her and didn't say a word in reply.

Kelly smiled, "I'm sorry Mori, I'm still getting used to this young man that sits in front of me. I guess that I have grown too comfortable with how you had a knack for anticipating such things when you were joined with Alorian." She turned to the new crew members and explained, "You may have noticed that our Chief Science Officer is a Trill. He is the current host to a member of the crew that has been with me for almost 20 years. It is just that until a couple of months ago, the host had been a woman, so I'm still adjusting to the current circumstances. Alorian Dax had been my First Officer and I have yet to find a replacement that I feel entirely comfortable with."

She held up a hand and looked at Tull, preventing his objections before he could even begin, "You're doing a great job, but we both know that you are not fond of command. You make a great Second Officer, but I need someone I can not only trust my life to, but this ship and crew as well. That is not something I take lightly."

She looked around the room and took a sip of her coffee before continuing, "The colony is special in that it is one of a number of critical settlements that are almost entirely comprised of scientific minds. I guess you would call it a think tank of a massive scale. I'll spare you their manifesto, but they are dedicated to independent scientific thought and research. They must have some pretty important brains to pick if the Vulcans are eager to get them on the comm."

Mori gave her a look that said he was still waiting for the rest, so Kelly continued, "It is about half way from here to Ferengi space, or something close to 40 light years. At warp six, it would take us just over a month to get there, but they're in a bit of a hurry, so I thought that once we were settled in and got some rest, we would let our new engineer wet herself and we could get there in about nine hours once we hopped it up to warp 11."

Kelly's expression turned a bit more serious as she looked at Mori and said, "You're right. We could do a great deal of good, taking a slower approach to our destination and setting out sign posts for people to follow. The fact that there were hundreds of thousands of craft that escaped the planet means that there are lots of refugees out there and possibly a great many distress signals. In fact, there are so many that we would almost certainly be able to spend more than a year just lending a hand to people on our way to our current destination…but that's not what we're here to do. We're trying to save those people and more by doing even bigger things. This ship is not equipped to rescue very many people at a time. I'll remind you that on more than one instance, we had to kill people that even knew about this ship, so bringing civilians onto the ship is really a bad idea. We can certainly record our sensor readings as we pass through the areas, so that the Vulcans are able to use the information to help map signals and prioritize rescue efforts and determine where to send technical assistance."

Sam spoke up once more saying in a timid voice, half raising her hand for attention, "Currently 26 and counting."

Kelly's brow furrowed, "Currently 26 what?"

Sam's voice was unsteady as she looked down at a PADD and clarified, "Signals. The ship is currently picking up 26…no, now 27 different distress signals. Several are quite faint, indicating they have been sent from a shuttle, small civilian craft or similar size transmitter. The ship is not really configured to pick up the signals, but I applied a simple filtering algorithm to indicate the specific subspace frequency range used for…"

Kelly held up a hand, "Thank you…Lieutenant Waters…you've helped me make my point."

"Sam"

Kelly barely heard her as Sam had started to lower her voice as she said her name, "I'm sorry, what?"

Speaking up a little, she tried again, "Sam…I prefer to be called Sam. This isn't my first time working with people with…special skills. I find that it is a very dangerous thing we tend to do. Given the intensity of such assignments, it becomes very common to become more informal, at least with each other. If our lives are going to be so interdependent, I would like to think of you all as my friends and family, though I know trust takes time. Still, if I were dead tomorrow, I would have you say you knew me as Sam and not Lieutenant Waters. Statistically speaking, the faces in this room are likely to be the last some of us see before we die. I'm sorry, I'm nervous and I tend to ramble a little when I'm nervous."

Kelly chuckled and said with a big smile, "Very well…Sam…you're quite right."

Sam surprised Kelly again by commenting, "I must say that you look very good for your age. It's uncommon that someone with your mixed bloodlines has the good luck to benefit from them in such a way. I suspect it is being half Vulcan that keeps you looking half your age."

Kelly chuckled again, "Then why does your saying so, make me feel so old?"

Sam gave a confused look, which caused Kelly to shake her head as she took another sip of coffee before trying to return to topic, "Where were we?"

Valentine raised an eyebrow at the comment about Kelly being half Vulcan. A grin crossed his face and he chuckled. Talea shot Valentine a knowing look and simply shook her head. They seemed to enjoy some private joke on the subject. Valentine looked at Kelly and said, "You remind us of a previous CO we shared, that's all. Getting back to our orders, I'm quite concerned about the lack of communications with this colony. I am going to assume this isn't exactly a top secret community. As you pointed out they went to cut off the head of the beast. If these guys are as smart as you imply, and must be if the VSA is sending us out find them, then it would make sense to attack them as well, further crippling us. We should definitely proceed with caution. Either the colony has been destroyed, or communications could be actively blocked. There is a good chance this could also be a trap, to catch ships trying to reach them. What are our tactical capabilities? I am going to assume that this isn't a standard Defiant Class."

As irritated as Talea was with Valentine she was glad to see him all business, and remembered why he was a valued member of the last crew they served on. Following suit she asked, "What do we know of the colony and the planet? If we need to send an away team, what are our objectives going to be? I can help coordinate the efforts either from here on the Spectre or on the ground with the team, but I would like to assist in setting up the away team and being prepped. I would also recommend that if you need someone at the helm or the tactical console that you would allow Valentine to do it. As inflated as his ego is, he is one of the best pilots and gunners out there, and when it comes to his duty it's one of the few things he takes seriously."

The genuine look of shock that crossed Valentine's face was priceless, and it caused Talea to smirk a little. She knew he wouldn't expect her recommendation but the facts were the facts. He was damn good at what he did.

Kat had sat silent for most the meeting and was slowly getting over the shock, "Warp 11 you said Sir? I still don't think it can be safely done, but I'll do everything in my power to make it happen, and see if I can push it a little further. If we are going 11 why not gun for 12 or 13? I'm sure once I get to know her the Spectre is going to be better than before with me handling her. When do we start?"

The Captain's smile widened as she leaned back and let the questions flow from the new people. She raised an eyebrow at being compared to some previous CO they had known, but once they calmed down, she looked at Kat and replied, "Well, let's cover the easiest first. TAs I mentioned to you before, this ship is capable of higher than warp 10 and can actually reach warp 13. We might be able to push 14 for a very short burst, but we can talk about that another time. I'll let you get familiar with the ship first. I know her limitations because I designed her. The exception being the cloak was designed by Mori."

Looking to Valentine, she said, "We've got 4 pulse canons, an omni-directional standard phaser bank, quantum torpedoes, standard ablative armor as well as self-replicating armor plating that can be deployed and a secondary shield generator that creates another layer of shielding outside the main shields, though it is not quite as strong as the primary shields. If hypothetically faced with Romulan Dreadnaughts, if they outnumbered us two to one, it is almost an even fight, but I would still give us the edge because we can fire and use shields while cloaked…at least initially."

A cold smile crossed Vanentine's face, "With that I can rain hell upon our enemies like an avenging wraith, truly an omen of death for those who would wish us or our allies harm."

Looking to Talea, Kelly said, "Talk to Tull about preparing for an Away Team. We don't know what we're going to encounter, so be prepared for anything. The colony is not working on secrets that we're aware of, but they are low key and are very independently minded. The fact that they are such a specialized colony is very secret. The Vulcans went to a great deal of trouble to try and help hide their true purpose, knowing that they might eventually be able to benefit from the future discoveries made there and had hopes of creating another elite science academy someday. The scientists, like many such colonies, rebelled against being run by bureaucrats and manipulated by political agencies, so they broke away. I respect their ideas and need to be free to research, but such people tend to have trouble defending themselves when it hits the fan. It is possible that someone found out about their secret. I'm worried that they might be exploited by those who would do others harm. They are idealists and everything that can be used for good can also be used for evil, but that's part of why we're on this ship. We try to help keep such secrets and defend them if necessary."

Kelly stood and removed her leather jacket, placing it on the back of her chair. She had a curved knife at the small of her back, much like those Valentine carried. She also had a small phaser on her belt, but the most unexpected thing that the new crew saw was a device hanging in a sheath under her arm, so that it had been hidden inside her jacket. The old crew that knew her were familiar with it, but the new crew were seeing it for the first time. Valentine was well versed in his weapons and recognized the folding sword at first sight.

Quickly refreshing her cup of coffee, Kelly took her seat once more and then said, "Maybe I'm being too hasty. If there's trouble to be found, I need you all to have a firm footing. I'm going to give you all an extra day to catch your breath. You're of no use to me if you're off balance. Rough ETA in the system will be about 36 hours from now. You'll all be updated as the time draws closer. I'll be sure to give you plenty of warning. Until then, use this time to get to know the ship, your crewmates and catch your breath. This could be a milk run, or we could drop out of warp into a trap and enemies up to our eyeballs."

Tull pulled a small pouch from a pocket and popped something small into his mouth. He began to chew it quietly as he was listening to Kelly. He nodded now and then, glancing around. Finally he said, "So, same as always then? Well, plus a day to sleep in. That works for me. Once in a while, I would like to be able to get in a day of relaxation. We've been on the move for so long I can't remember the last time I got to relax."

Kelly smiled, "Well, you did get to kill a man today, so that must count for something."

Tull smiled, showing the tips of his fangs as he continued to chew, "Well, the job does come with an occasional perk."

Sam made a disgusted face and asked, "What is that you're eating? It smells horrible."

Tull, swallowed it and replied, "Sorry, it's something that calms me and helps keep my teeth clean."

"It smells like some sort of cured meat."

He nodded, "I make it myself, but I'm almost out. I'm down to just a few pouches of chips made from treated hide."

He set one on the table. It was the size of a small coin and made a hard sound as it hit the table. Sam made a face again as she looked at it, "The pattern on it looks familiar. What kind of beast is it from?"

Tull smiled and picked it up as he replied, "Gorn."

Kelly asked, "That isn't that one that…"

Tull tried to look innocent and said, "Hey, you said to dispose of him. You didn't say how."

Kelly frowned, "Yes, but I didn't expect you to…oh, never mind…"

Nancy took the opportunity to say, "Captain, T'Kai apologized for not being able to make the meeting, but she was treating Billy for some burns."

The Captain looked worried, "Billy? Nothing too serious, I hope. Our new Engineer is going to need him in top form if she is going to learn all of his secrets and keeping this ship purring like he does." Looking to Kat, Kelly added, "I swear that he knows some things about this ship that even I don't know. Maybe you can get him to tell you how he does it."

Nancy looked at Tull and wagged a finger, "You didn't bring anything back with you, did you? You're always eating things raw and coming back covered in blood. Don't make me put you through decontamination."

Tull held up his hands in mock innocence, "Nope…nothing came onto the ship with us."

Kelly was about to correct him, but he pointed at her and said, "Hey, that body stayed on the shuttle and is long since burned to a cinder by now."

Nancy narrowed her eyes and scolded, "That explains the blood on you. What kind is it?"

Tull sounded like a scolded child again as he replied, "Um…Vulcan…"

She seemed mildly satisfied with that answer, "Fine, at least they don't tend to carry parasites. You didn't ingest any of it did you?"

He licked at the sides of his mouth reflexively and lied, "No, of course not."

She didn't look like she believed him, but cautioned, "Keep it that way. Learn to live on replicator food, like the rest of us."

Tull made a disgusted face, but said nothing. Sam leaned toward him and whispered, "Talk to me later. I think that I can help you with that."

Sam got his attention with that. Tull grinned in a mischievous way. He then seemed distracted, sniffing at the air for a moment. He glanced around the room as if he were trying to determine something, but was unable to figure it out.

Nancy knew what he smelled, but kept it to herself. She had caught Kat staring at Tull almost the entire briefing. She grinned as the unprotected thoughts from the redhead told her how fascinated the woman was with their Chief of Security.

Kat had been watching Tull with rapt interest and it wasn't until she noticed Nancy looking at her that she realized that she had been staring. Kat began to blush, her cheeks turning almost as red as her hair. He was so...primal, yet that very aspect fascinated her. His hair reminded her of her pet husky, Willow. His color pattern and the way his ears moved made her imagination wonder what Willow would have looked like if she had been humanoid. Kat had grown up with that animal and some of her best memories revolved around Willow. She had not just been a pet, but had been her friend and constant companion from early childhood until she had left home. She often wondered how she would have ever made it through her turbulent teenage years if she had not had Willow to talk with and cuddle.

Snapping out of her own trip down memory lane, Kat looked at Nancy. The smirk on Nancy's face told her the Betazoid knew what she had been thinking. Kat decided it was time to change the subject.

"So who is Billy?" She asked, hoping the color was fading from her face.

Valentine noticed when Kelly took off her jacket that she was as well armed as he was. _That sword could cause a problem if the need to deal with her. She could be even more trouble than Tull. I hope I don't get that particular order. Against my better judgment I am starting to like her. This ship and mission are definitely intriguing. I also wonder what made Kat blush so badly she almost looked like a tomato?_

When told they had 36 hours to get to know the ship and get some rest, Valentine spoke up, "Ma'am, not to sound dense, but my orders for what I should be doing here still aren't clear. If I am to utilize this time wisely, could you perhaps give me an idea of what you would like me to do? Point me in the right direction and like a great ass I will tarry forth to my labor."

Talea groaned as Valentine began to get into his flowery speech patterns, which meant he was getting comfortable with Kelly and the others. _That was fast. Then again this is more his forte. Hopefully he doesn't fall into old patterns, or I may shove him out an airlock with or without the Captain's permission._ She adjusted her uniform and waited for the dismissal. Talea wanted to talk with Tull one on one, to start working out details, but first she needed a few hours of sleep _._ She had already been up 27 hours and though she had gone longer, she knew if she was to be at her peak she needed the rest.

Kelly laughed, "Great ass? That's a new one. Well, Mister Ass, I thought you would have deduced it by now, but let me make it clear. Your eagerness to rain hell upon our enemies will serve you well on the Bridge. You will begin familiarizing yourself with the weapons systems of this ship and her flight capabilities. Get with Lieutenant Lauren 'Legs' Langston and see what you can learn. We're in dire need of someone with deadly piloting skills and the ability to make ship to ship fighting look like art. You came highly recommended, so I'm counting on you to not disappoint. Is that clear enough for you?"

The Captain stood with her hands on her hips and looked around the small room at the people in it and nodded slowly, "This might work. I like the feel of this. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've had a long day. If anyone has anything else, you know where to find me."

She then grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair, picked up her coffee cup and walked out the door. Mori slowly stood and cleared his throat, "Well, if you hadn't guessed, that is her way of declaring the meeting to be officially concluded and you are all dismissed."

As Nancy stood, she said to Kat, "Billy is in reference to William Littlebear. Most call him Billy, but his friends call him Bear. He tends to be a quiet man, and his approach to his profession is a bit unusual, but you can't argue with his results. He got a little singed earlier and the CMO is making sure he is good to go. She likes to take the time to do things right, when given the chance. As a result, I expect that he will be as good as new by now. You'll almost always find him in Main Engineering. I'm honestly not even sure if he sleeps or not."

Sam continued to sit and watch everyone. She was in no hurry and enjoyed watching everyone interact, seeing the conversations and new relationship blossom around her. She took note of all the countless non-verbal elements going on and it made her grin. Of all the ships she had been on, this was certainly one of the most interesting. The crew was very highly skilled in their various fields and there was a kind of excitement in the air, in spite of the bad news. She worried if any of them would be killed during this mission. The ship was traversing deeply troubled waters and the records of previous missions so covert that she wondered what they were really doing out here, but only time would answer some questions.

As everyone else began to leave, Sam eventually stood. She returned her glass of water to the replicator and decided that perhaps she should return to her quarters and check on the progress of her automated redecorating efforts. This ship was her new home now, be it ever so humble. She wondered silently how long it would be before she was forced to begin revealing her secrets, but for now would do her best to fit in and do what she had been brought here to do.


	3. Chapter 3

As the room began to clear out, Nancy stood with everyone else and looked around. Seeing Kat once again staring at Tull as he prepared to leave, she moved close and spoke in a hushed tone, "Listen, I'm not one to poke my nose into the personal affairs of others, but I can't help pick up on your thoughts regarding Tull."

Kat blushed and looked down at the ground, but said nothing. Nancy continued, "Just…be careful. I've known him for a long time now and think he's a wonderful guy, but…well…just remember that he isn't human, that's all. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to come by and talk. He can be a bit intense, and he's certainly unusual."

Kat gave a questioning look, "Where is he from?"

Nancy glanced up to see Tull leaving and then answered, "His people were genetically engineered in the Gama Quadrant for use as soldiers to help clear planets as an independent invasion force. They're extremely loyal, obedient and smart. Odds are, if you encountered them, they killed you or you killed them, there is not much room for interactions in between. Tull is a rare case in that he was considered a runt and was left for dead at one point. Fate landed him on this crew."

Kat grinned, "You like him."

Nancy smiled back, "Don't misread my intent. He's my friend. We've talked countless times and he is quite the snuggler once you're part of his social circle, but there's never been anything sexual between us, if that's what you mean. Our friendship isn't like that. I'm a Betazoid, so being naked does not equal an intent to have sex. We actually tend to enjoy a swimming program on the holodeck now and then, but little more than that. If that's your intent, you have my blessing, but I really have to caution you if you go there."

Kat tried to correct her, "Oh, no…I don't mean…I wasn't saying that…"

Nancy held up a hand and said, "That's not my business. I'm just trying to be his friend and hoping to be yours along the way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to someone else quick."

Kat blushed at Nancy mentioning the idea of being attracted to Tull. That was not what Kat had meant when she spoke, but she now wondered what it was that Nancy was picking up on. As she walked out of the room, she realized that she was unaware just what she had been thinking or feeling about the man. She was fascinated by him and her mind was full of thoughts of home. The look of him somehow brought up memories of her dog, but she wasn't really sure what to think now.

Either way, Nancy was now turning to speak with Sam. Kat took that as her chance to leave and take care of more business before this day was done. She would stop by her quarters first.

Meanwhile, Nancy turned her attention to Sam, who was still watching people leave. Walking over next to the new Science Officer, Nancy spoke up, "So…are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to ask a million questions until you tell me what I want to know?"

The conversation caught Mori's attention. He approached the two ladies and added, "Yes…please…I'm quite interested to listen in on this. If I'm to be your supervisor, I think it is important that I know as much as possible about you, especially on this ship."

Sam glanced around and then replied innocently, "I'm not really sure what you're referring to. If it's about my analysis, I have…"

Nancy gave her a dismissive shake of her head and said, "No, not that. I'm well versed in my gifts and I know the difference between someone blocking my mind and someone who I can't even feel is in the room. I get nothing from you, like you're not even here."

Sam smiled and nodded in understanding, "Ah, I see. I do understand your concern, but I do have an explanation. As you're aware, your gifts tap into certain types of organic energy. I have certain equipment in me that is directly related to your inability to detect that energy."

Nancy gave a look of disbelief, "You have implants? I would think that we would have been given something about your medical records on that. I saw nothing flagged. What are we talking about here?"

Without hesitation, Nancy pulled out a tricorder and began to scan her, "I'm not seeing…"

Sam placed a hand over the tricorder and said calmly, "No, that's going to show only what it is allowed to show. I will eventually let you see a real scan, but now is not the time. I ask that you trust me. The Captain has been briefed, and if she is able to trust me, then I ask that you do the same…for now."

Nancy stared at her for a moment, evaluating all of the tiny facial movements, her eyes, her breathing, all those many non-verbal indicators that might tell her if this woman was lying or being deceptive. She could see nothing that raised a red flag to her. Finally, she put her tricorder away and gave a nod, "Very well. I'll leave it alone for now, but I'm expecting a detailed scan and briefing on these devices soon. I don't like the idea of something medically going on with one of the crew and we don't have it on file. The CMO isn't going to like it either."

Sam tried to give a convincing smile and said, "Thank you."

Morian Dax listened to their exchange and frowned. He was feeling a bit conflicted and confused. The Captain obviously chose this young woman for a reason, and it would appear that it had to do with her skills in analysis of data, but it felt not quite right. He couldn't fathom why she was withholding secrets about herself that might be relevant to the mission.

As Nancy left the Briefing Room, Mori looked intently at Sam and said, "I don't entirely understand, Lieutenant. Frankly, this state of confusion that I feel right now is something I'm not familiar with."

Sam returned his look with equal confusion, "I'm unsure just what it is that you don't understand. Do you need further clarification from the Captain? How exactly can I help you, sir?"

Mori gave a frustrated sigh and said, "No, I think that I understand the mission about as well as can be expected. What I'm unsure about is you. Your insight about the data is disturbing. Why was that information not in the briefing from the Vulcans?"

Sam looked away and seemed to contemplate something for a moment before responding, "Listen, it's complicated. The Vulcans have the data and are working on compiling even more, but they're not big on speculation or following a train of thought that is not clearly indicated by the evidence. I, on the other hand, explore multiple lines of thought simultaneously. Their computers and data analysis is not given to the prospective problem solving that requires a small leap, unfounded by current evidence. The trick is to make a small presumption and then see if the rest of the pieces fit the pattern, thus no longer making it speculation, but supporting evidence of a possible theory. As for me personally…well…it has to do with events in my life that I find quite traumatic and am very uncomfortable with."

Sam looked a bit embarrassed and added, "I suppose that it is a little unprofessional of me, but I have had to deal with a great deal of death and loss in my personal life, and it has made life very hard to cope with at times. I realize that it is a personal weakness and I apologize for that. I'm hoping that I will become more relaxed with all of you and be able to discuss such matters in the course of time. Naturally, should such matters become more important to the mission, I will simply have to swallow my personal feelings on the matter and lay my secrets on the table. I promise that I would do nothing to endanger this crew or the mission."

That was an answer that Mori had not anticipated. He felt that she was being quite honest in her words and he decided not to press the issue further. "Well, I suppose that we all have a few of those painful aspects of our lives that we aren't eager to share until we know people better. I'll do my best to trust you on the matter for now, but I hope that we'll be able to finish this conversation before too much longer. I've not managed to stay alive through the course of three previous hosts without learning when I needed to know more of the story than I was being given."

Sam inquired, "In those lives, were you ever married or had any children?"

Mori hesitated, "Actually, I was married once. I was father to four children and all but one had left home when…well…"

Sam nodded, "Well then, perhaps we might have more in common than I thought. Leaving such a life behind, or having it taken from you, can't be easy. Just as you might not be eager to disclose all the intimate details of your personal life, I am uncomfortable about such matters with strangers as well."

Feeling she had still not exactly answered his original question, he decided he was not going to get any further today and said, "I suppose that is only understandable. If you have any questions, or issues about getting settled in, please don't hesitate to ask."

He then turned and left the Briefing Room as well. Sam watched him go and once more wondered to herself how long before she would have to give her entire story and tell all of her dreadful secrets to the crew. It was hard enough for her to deal with, but to expect others to understand it seemed quite unreasonable.


	4. Chapter 4

As Kelly walked out of the Briefing Room, Valentine got up to follow her, "Captain?" She didn't seem to hear him, not even slowing down, so he tried again, "Um, Captain?"

Still ignoring him, she walked onto the Bridge, her jacket slung over her shoulder, walking casually toward the center chair, "Report…"

The woman seated there stood to greet the Captain. She was almost as tall as the Captain, but had short blond hair, human that Valentine placed somewhere in her late 30s or early 40s and looked like she was a rather tough customer. Her outfit didn't exactly look any more regulation that the rugged outfit the Captain was wearing. In fact, she looked more like a pirate, but her boots certainly showed off her long legs. Boldly putting hands on hips Langston said, "I thought you would never finish that damned meeting. You know how I hate this cursed chair. In a cockpit, I can rule the galaxy, but in this chair I feel like a babysitter for this insane asylum."

Kelly nodded, "So…no report then?"

The cocky blond gave a sigh and rolled her eyes, "Sorry…we're locked in and at warp four, cloak is active and as far as we can tell, our departure went without notice. The shuttle was destroyed as planned, which was picked up by the Vulcans as they tried several times to contact it before it went up. Our warp trail was masked by an exit route close to one of the other solar flares, using the magnetic field as cover. Other than that, all systems are green. She's all yours."

Kelly held up a finger, "Not so fast." The blond made a face, but waited to hear what it was. Kelly poked a thumb over her shoulder and said, "This eager young man is Valentine Winters. According to his record, he knows how to fly a ship, has a tendency to play with knives and is convinced he is a gift to women." She turned to Valentine and grinned, "This is Lieutenant Lauren Langston. She likes busting balls and was the only pilot brave enough to test fly this ship while it was still being designed." The Captain patted the blond on the shoulder and added, "He's all yours. I'll call in next shift."

The blond walked up to Valentine and without a second of hesitation, reached down, grabbed his crotch and said over her shoulder, "I don't know about a gift, but he's over the size limit, so I won't have a to throw him back."

Valentine's eyes went wide when she grabbed him, letting out a small cough of surprise and a faint blush. Langston gave a wink and a playful squeeze before letting go, then turned and started walking out the door, "You hungry? I'm starving. They call me 'Legs', but so long as you keep it respectful, I'm flexible."

Valentine followed her as she led them to the mess hall. Typical of everything else on the ship, it was small and Spartan. Langston had conjured up some kind of strange sandwich with grains and cranberries in the bread. Valentine walked over to the replicator and thought for a moment before he decided on some sushi rolls and some noodles. The replicated stuff was never as good as the real deal, but it kept you going. It occurred to Valentine he would never have the authentic thing again, given the state of Earth, then quickly pushed the thought away. He sat down and waited for her to do the same. When she did, he took a bite of one of the rolls and said: "So the Captain said you test piloted the Spectre. How does she handle?" He was curious to get the professional opinion of the Woman who test piloted the ship, and seemed to be the one at the helm currently. She was definitely a different kind of woman than he was accustomed to.

In between bites, Langston replied, "Well, for a ship this size, she can handle almost like a fighter." She wrinkled her nose and tried again, "Maybe we'll go with very big fighter. You can operate helm and weapons from different consoles, giving someone else the job of gunner while you fly the ship, or you can do it solo. It's also possible to initiate a dogfight feature, should you need to. It is at the helm and from under the console will extend controls. You then fly her just like a fighter, having weapons control buttons on your flight controls. It is really hard to do though, with only using the Main View Screen. If it comes to that, pull out the helmet from under your seat. It gives a simulated view, using ship sensors. I suggest practicing with it a few times on the holodeck first. With it on, you see nothing of the ship, not even yourself. There are two small circles though, to orient you in the sphere of vision. The one on the upper left is a rear view from the ship and the one on the upper right is forward. Targets are color coded for range and will also indicate current weapons locks, both yours and theirs. She won't let you break her though. If you try to exceed her allowable stress, she will not let you pull more g-forces than she can handle."

She took a drink of water to wash down another bite of her meal and then shifted a bit, "The thing to be mindful of, is if we make a short jump. A jump is what they call it when we break warp 10. It still makes my heart skip when we make a jump, but the system has never failed yet. The thing is, when we make a jump, you really tax the shields. To do it, we obviously have to give the ship a huge boost of acceleration. It turns out that the danger isn't in crossing the barrier, it is the barrier itself. When you hang out in the turbulence of that barrier is when you risk temporal continuity as it starts threatening to impact matter on the quantum level. The Captain can describe it better, but all you need to know is that you never hang out at warp 10. This ship is actually incapable of it, but get past warp 10, they create a controlled detonation between the two layers of shields around the ship. The outer shields fail in a very specific pattern that causes us to shoot forward like we were shot out of a gun. It also damages the inner shields though, bringing them down to about 50%. They need about six hours to both recover. That means you really don't want to drop into instant combat. The up side is that sensors don't pick you up the same if you're over warp 10, so if you drop in from high warp, you can get the drop on them. Typically, you drop out of warp at a dead stop and cloaked, so you make almost no spatial disruption in your arrival."

Valentine nodded as he ate, finding the conversation rather interesting, "That is good to know. I doubt we will often warp into combat situation, but knowing we can get in undetected and select our targets is a good thing. Perhaps I can speak with our new Engineering Officer about a way to either boost the shields or perhaps create a secondary system specifically for jumping. I don't know about you but taking 6 hours to return to full is rather lengthy. The paranoid side of me wonders what were to happen if we jump and had a failure with the cloak? She's armed to the teeth and with our combined skills would make us a hard target to kill, but it isn't beyond the realm of impossibility. I like to make sure we have every advantage going into situations, it's part of how I managed to stay alive as long as I have while maintaining most of my original parts."

Langston seemed unbothered by the ideas he posed, "Well, most of the time we jump, we're at warp that long or longer, so there is no worry. Although this ship can do some serious damage, the idea is not to fight unless forced to do so, or to silence those who might give us away. You drop out of warp in a place that might give a tactical advantage, or at least help maintain stealth. As for the design, the secondary shield is intended as part of the propulsion system, but CAN be used as additional defense, not the other way around." She looked at his eye for a moment and grinned, but said nothing about it.

Valentine chuckled and as he mentioned original parts his cybernetic eye whirred, as if to accentuate the joke. He finished his rolls and began to work on his noodles. After a few mouthfuls he swallowed and asked: "What's your take on the Captain? She seems rather chilly, but I have a feeling she knows her stuff. I know she designed this beast but she has more of a seasoned feel about her than just a researcher."

She chuckled in reply, "Well, I know that she started out as you might imagine most Starfleet Officers do. She was on a destroyer, if memory serves correctly. Her Captain was some Klingon, but the name escapes me. She became his First Officer and then took over the ship herself when he moved on to bigger things. I'm told that even back then, she started getting her feet wet in covert missions and stacking up secrets. She was given a Heavy Cruiser at some point, but the whole time had her scientific ideas. Her Trill friend was even the Captain of a ship at one time, but people started sending them on missions they weren't supposed to return from. After a while, they started taking it personally. Someone had listened to her crazy ideas and thought it had possibilities. Most thought she would simply blow herself up and either way viewed it as a win-win. I was recruited to test the ship and never left. As for Kelly being a researcher, she's smart. Don't make any mistake in underestimating her. I will tell you that her very first FO turned out to be a traitor and she stabbed him through the heart herself. I could tell you stories all night, but I can save time by summing it up like this…if I'm in trouble, I feel much safer if she's coming for me. I've seen her clean out a room full of men. Trust me, right or wrong, I'll pick standing next to her every time…and you should too."

Valentine nodded and smirked. "I have a feeling we are going to get along well then. My trust doesn't come easy." He said as he pointed to his eye. "I learned that lesson the hard way, but there is something about her and this crew. It's hard to explain but it's almost like...being home if that makes any sense."

With a smile, she replied, "Well, this ship has been my home for the past several years, so yes, it makes a great deal of sense to me."

Valentine finished his food and leaned back with a satisfied look on his face. He cocked his head to the side and looked her over before asking, "So have you always had a thing for flying?"

"I've been flying almost my entire life. As a child, I learned to move in zero-g before I learned to walk. I've always preferred high-g though. I've been flying with powered flight since I was four, but I didn't try it with a vehicle until I was learning atmospheric flight at about seven. I have to say that atmospheric flight is much easier with a vehicle. My first time behind the stick of a non-atmospheric ship was at age 10. My father designed and built experimental craft, so I was around them in one form or another my entire life."

Valentine asked, "Wait, how did you fly if you weren't using a craft?"

She chuckled, "Maybe I'll show you sometime, but not many people can handle that. Let's take it one step at a time."

"Hey, wait a minute. You said you could do it as a kid, so how hard can it be?"

She became a little more serious and replied, "Because I grew up in such varied environments, especially high gravity areas of stations during developmental stages of my life, my body developed interesting coping mechanisms. I can take more g-forces than normal before I'm disoriented or pass out. I find the conditions most people find painful or stressful to be my comfort zone and they even excite me a little."

He chuckled, "So…you get turned on by intense flying?"

She gave him a flirtatious grin, "I suppose you could say that."

"Perhaps we should find a flying program to share some time."

She gave a brief laugh, "Aw, you're trying to hit on me while making small talk. That's kind of cute. I just hope you're not one of those candy and flowers kind of guys. I would only end up using you for sex, breaking your heart and ruining you for other women."

His grin widened, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

She pointed at his eye, "I would hope that eye is the only mechanical part of you or that would take the fun out of life. I'm afraid to ask where they stick your batteries."

He chuckled and nodded in an acknowledgement that she had gotten in a good jab at his expense. He supposed he might have deserved it a little as well, but came back with, "No batteries, but I would be happy to let you try and make good on ruining me for other women."

She stood and disposed of her tray in the replicator, "So, you think you're ready to learn from the master, huh?"

Valentine disposed of his things as well and gave a nod, "Your place or mine?"

She gave him a seductive look and slid up next to him and whispered, "The holodeck…"

"Nice choice. What did you have in mind?"

She cozied up even closer, pressing up against him a little, "I was thinking the tutorial program I designed for piloting this ship and understanding her weapons systems. I'm thinking that maybe you should know how to handle this ship before we worry if you can handle me or not."

Valentine rolled his eyes at letting himself be suckered in so easy. She smiled playfully though and walked away, showing him the way to the holodeck, "Come on, I don't bite…hard…"

Valentine chuckled as he followed after her. He had to admit she was rather attractive, but what he liked the most about her was her bold personality. It was almost like she was one of the guys, and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, much like him. He had known many male fighter pilots, and they tended to be pretty bold, so it did fit the mold, in a manner of speaking. The playful banter was definitely a welcomed change. The only female he had a chance to talk to over the past few months was Kat and she made it quite clear she wasn't vulnerable to his charms. Over that time, she became like a kid sister to him, but Legs here, she definitely didn't give him a sisterly vibe.

He thought to himself as they arrived on the holodeck, _Careful Valentine, she might be right about falling in love_. Langston entered in the command for the program and the door opened, smiling at Valentine and beckoning him with a come here gesture with her finger. He walked in and saw the bridge of the Spectre and grinned.

She spread her arms as she walked toward the critical station at the front. She waited for him to take his seat, hands on hips and a sly grin.

He took a seat at the helm and asked, "So what shall we do first?"

She teased, "You should treat the ship like any lady and warm up to her first. Try a little foreplay. Like doing your standard preflight checks. We're simulated docked at an unmanned fuel storage facility. They are stashed in remote areas for ships like ourselves, allowing us to sometimes avoid docking and giving away where we are in the galaxy."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he expertly went through his checks and when all indications were green, he glanced at her and she gave a nod of approval. He had the ship disconnect and began the simple maneuvering thrusters to nudge them away from the simulated facility. He then gently moved forward, clear of the area and into open space.

She moved to the side and watched him as she said, "Simple enough, right? Now go ahead and get a feel for her. You're in open space now and have all the room you could want, so get a feel for what she'll let you do. Take some tight turns and see how she does."

He began playing with the controls and was impressed with how responsive the ship was, "Wow! This thing turns tight. I've flown shuttles that weren't this maneuverable. It's almost like flying a fighter."

She smiled, "I know. Pretty sexy, right?"

He chuckled, "This girl has some moves in her."

There was a small alarm showing some fast moving incoming hostile targets. He glanced at Legs and her smile got bigger. He tilted his head and began to try to avoid them, "Testing me with combat already?"

She continued to watch the screen, "Nope, not yet. For now, you don't get weapons. At this point, you can only take evasive maneuvers and try to stay alive. You don't have warp power and no weapons. When you're in that seat, the Captain often gets to pick fight or flight and little else. The rest is often in your hands. Right now, it is flight."

The enemy opened fire and the ship took some hits on the shields, "Oh, we're not going to live long at that rate, you better get a little more serious about keeping us alive. Nothing kills the mood more than being dead. If you want me to be able to make good on ruining you for other women, you'll have to keep me alive first."

He mumbled a curse under his breath and focused on the task at hand. It took him a little bit, but he finally got the hang of it and got back into the groove. He had been a little rusty, but it came back fast. He stopped thinking of the size of the ship and started thinking like he was in a fighter.

"That's better! I'm in a much better mood when my tits aren't getting shot off."

He chuckled, "That would be criminal. We can't have that."

She walked over to the Tactical Station and locked onto the targets. She quickly took them out and then said, "There, catch your breath for a second."

He shook the blood back into his fingers and stretched his neck, "This ship is amazing!"

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Pull the helmet out from under your seat."

As he did, she reached forward and pointed to the arming button, "This turns it into a fighter. Try it."

He pressed it and the controls extended from under the console. Two small pedals also slid under his feet. They were fighter controls. The left hand was throttle, with target and weapons selections. The right was the flight control with weapons triggers.

The alarm was beeping again, signaling more contacts as he slipped the helmet on. Suddenly the ship disappeared and he was floating in space seeing the target indicators and his heart began to race. Now he felt like he WAS the ship. When he took hits, he could tell where they were hitting, indicating the direction he was being attacked from. It was like a dream come true.

In seconds, he was consumed in the simulation. He had forgotten all about the ship and was reacting like he was in combat on a battlefield, able to spin, turn, shut down thrusters and float through space backwards and then rotate and engage thrusters once more. It was like being a deadly dancer in space. He took out ten simulated fighters in almost not time at all, then there was quiet once more.

He pulled off the helmet. His heart was pounding and his breathing was rapid. He looked at her with wide eyes, "Holy crap! That was amazing!"

She leaned on the console and said in a sassy tone, "See, I told you. A person could get a little excited from doing that for a living. It might not be as good as sex, but it does make for a great turn-on."

He chuckled and replied, "Once again…you say that like it's a bad thing. The question is, now that you've got me all excited, what are you going to do with me?"

She moved around the console and bent over as if to kiss him on the mouth, but then at the last second turned it into a kiss on the cheek and said, "I'm going to go get naked and take a much needed shower, which means I'm going to abandon you here to practice while I go get some rest. Tomorrow you're going to be flying the real thing, so try not to look bad in front of the Captain."

The reality of what she said struck him, "What? You're going to drop me onto the Bridge just like that?"

She gave a mocking pouty face as she began to back away, "These are the big leagues, tiger. Welcome to the rough and tumble. I figure a big bad boy like you would be happy to jump right in."

He shook his head with a smile, "You're a crazy bitch, you know that, right?"

She gave a big smile that showed deep dimples and blew him a kiss, "Now you're catching on! G'night my Valentine."

He laughed to himself, shaking his head, but the alarms began to go off again and this time showed a couple of bigger ships warping in on his position. He cursed and quickly put the helmet back on as the door to the Bridge slid shut behind Legs.


	5. Chapter 5

The Chief Medical Officer had been in the middle of reading an article from the Vulcan Academy of Science when one of her medics tapped on her door and said, "Billy's back. He's asking for you."

She gave a small sigh as she said, "Is it not something that you can handle? Has he chopped of his arm? Once the Captain returns, she is going to hold a briefing. I should really be there to meet the new troops."

The medic replied "He's insisting that it be you. He says you're the ONLY one who can help him. He says…"

T'Kai held up her hands and said, "Stop...I get it. I'll go."

Just then came the message from the Bridge, notifying them that the Captain had returned to the ship and was holding a meeting in 15 minutes. T'Kai rolled her eyes and said, "I knew it."

Nancy Nichols shouted, "I'll go. I'll let you know if there is anything exciting."

T'Kai stepped into the sick bay and shouted back, "Thank you! Please send my apologies to the Captain."

The CMO saw Lieutenant Junior Grade William Littlebear sitting on one of the bio-beds, holding onto a very bloody arm and hand. He was a human male of Native origin from Earth, height of about 1.78 meters, weight about 86 kilograms, both about average. He saw her step out and said simply, "She bit me again."

T'Kai gave a small grin as she approached, "Really? What is this, the second time this week? Did you put your wrench where it shouldn't be, or did you have a conduit attack you?"

He gave her a big grin and said, "Look, we had a difference of opinion and she was emphasizing her point. Not unlike you."

Lieutenant Commander T'Kai looked back at the medic assisting her and said, "Get me a tricorder so I can see what kind of damage has been done."

"Aye, Doctor." replied the medic. T'Kai turned and looked at her patient and said, "Let me see what you've done." As she took some scissors and cut away his shredded sleeve.

The medic handed her the tricorder which she then scanned over his arm and hand. "You have a deep laceration to both. I am surprised that you were able to stop the bleeding."

Billy replied, "It's amazing what you can do when you're really motivated and excited."

T'Kai arched an eyebrow and asked, "You were excited because you cut your arm? Are you sure you weren't hit in the head as well?"

Billy gave a chuckle and replied, "No, I was motivated to stop the bleeding. I was excited that the ship was talking to me, Doc. I love it when she talks to me." He looked around the room, "Can't you feel it when you walk the ship? I listen and I can hear her singing her song. She just needed to put me in my place."

T'Kai looked puzzled, but did not say anything. She reached for a dermal regenerator, began to clean out the wound and then used it to repair the wounds. There was a large area to cover, and it was deep, so she had to go over it several times. He had been lucky in that he had not damaged any tendons or ligaments. It took time to do a good job, but when she was finished, she said, "There, that should do it. It won't even leave a scar when it's healed."

Billy gave a small frown and replied, "But I like scars, Doc. They tell your story."

"Nonetheless, you are finished here. I might suggest that you learn to win more of your arguments than you lose. I would also remind you that multiple trips to the sickbay like this might necessitate some time in your quarters. Whether the ship is talking to you or not, please try to be more careful in the future, Mister Littlebear." She had finished with her usual reminders.

"I'll do what I can, Doc. But you're asking a lot from someone who loves his ship and she is one temperamental woman." He replied as he hopped off the table and said as he was leaving, "See ya next week."

T'Kai stared at him as he walked away. He really did believe that the ship was talking to him. She looked at her medic and said, "I'm done here. Could clean up for me? I have no doubt missed the meeting, but I should still meet with the Captain."

"Of course, Doctor. No problem." she replied as she took the dermal regenerator and other things away.

As T'Kai was leaving the sick bay, she asked, "Computer, where is Captain Longbow at this moment?"

The computer replied, [The Captain is currently located in her quarters.]

After a short walk, she arrived outside the Captain's quarters and pressed the chime. The familiar voice of Kelly answered, "Come…"

T'Kai entered and Kelly said, with a small grin, "Glad to see that you could finally tear yourself away from Sickbay. Was there another life and death emergency on the ship?"

T'Kai responded with a hint of a smile, "Yes, Bear again. I must say that I am unsure as to his mental state, Captain. He keeps stating that the ship is talking to him and that they argue. This is the second time this week he has been in my Sickbay for injuries sustained in the line of his duties. He refuses to let anyone else attend to him. I wonder if he just feels a special connection to this ship or if he has some kind of delusion that they are a couple. As it stands, I do apologize for missing the briefing. How did it go?"

Kelly chuckled, "Well, I have spoken with him about his beliefs. I understand how it can seem odd, but there is a certain logic to his thoughts. I don't really think that there is a danger in it, but I do have to ask you about something you just said. You say he'll only allow you to treat him. Has it occurred to you that perhaps he's fond of you?"

T'Kai looked at Kelly, stunned for a moment and then replied, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm just saying that you're one of the few people that don't think that he is joking when he says such things. He tends to be a quiet man, so the fact that he insists on talking to you might be significant. I realize that you're a little older than he is, but a young man like that who enjoys the attention of an attractive older woman is not something to be ignored."

T'Kai now stared at her Captain and wasn't exactly sure if these were words of warning or encouragement to a situation she had honestly never contemplated before. She finally replied to Kelly, "Well, I will try very hard to pay much closer attention to the matter, next time he is injured. I find the idea interesting, if perhaps mildly amusing, but I hope that you are mistaken. This ship has enough craziness going on from day to day without…" She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Let's return to the topic of the briefing, shall we?"

With a smile, Kelly let the topic of Littlebear go. She gave a quick rundown on the new members and their fields. Her summary of the briefing, included the new information that Lt. Waters had added to the scope and breath of attack on Sol and the probable number of escapees from the planet.

T'Kai listened intently, then said, "Well, it would seem that the Federation will have quite a time of it in rebuilding. I am saddened at the news of the devastation, but I also understand how these things go. I have seen with my own eyes the destruction that comes with war. I agree with Lt Dax about setting up some sort beacons that might help those who are still seeking aid. I understand that it is not a part of our mission, but as we will not be able to help anyone along the way, it would be a way of helping and not losing sight of our mission."

Kelly listened and nodded, "I understand. You and the Science department can work it out, but make sure that it does not detract from our mission. We need answers and we need help. Our mission is taking us somewhere that will hopefully deliver both. We do not want anyone to know that we are on this mission, so you would have to ensure that our assistance is anonymous or someone else gets the credit. Do you understand?"

"Aye, Captain, I do. We will figure something out. We can't save everyone, but I still think we can help. At least we will have tried, in our own small way." Looking at Kelly, she added, "Captain, wasn't there supposed to be another recruit as well?"

Kelly nodded slowly, looking away, "He didn't make it. We're not certain who it was, but they killed him on his way to meet us. Tull thinks is was one of the isolationists, but it could have been any number of people."

T'Kai asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

After a moment, Kelly added, "The new science officer is…different. There will be a detailed medical and science briefing at some point, but for right now just trust that I have been briefed and I want her to have a chance to settle in. No secrets survive long on this ship, but I told her that I would give her a chance to get to at least meet people before I made her tell her life story."

The CMO grinned but gave no other reaction. Kelly returned the grin and said, "What? You don't seem very surprised by that."

T'Kai actually gave a brief chuckle and replied, "Captain, given the crew manifest of this ship, very little surprises me anymore. You've managed to assemble such a diverse and motley crew of misfits and specialists that I often wonder if one day you're going to hoist a pirate flag and begin singing sailing songs."

Kelly laughed, "Actually, that would be Dax. One of his hosts was a General and had a love of Klingon songs, for some reason. You do have a point though. We have a habit of attracting unique talent."

"Well, if that's all then, I have some reports to write. I'll look over their medical records and let you know if there is anything to worry about, but the preliminary screening didn't turn up anything significant, so I'm not very worried."

Kelly pulled a bottle from a cabinet and said, "Thanks for stopping by."

T'kai left the Captain in silence. Kelly was thankful to finally have quiet. She poured herself a dash of the liquid from the bottle into a small glass and took a sip. She had long ago gotten accustomed to the weight of command being on her shoulders, but there were brief moments, like now, when she enjoyed escaping it and indulging herself for a selfish moment.


	6. Chapter 6

As much as Talea wanted to go and get some much needed sleep, she was also eager to get things under way. If they had a basic plan laid out she could sleep a lot easier knowing she had accomplished something prior to their arrival. From what Kelly had said it wouldn't take them much time to get anywhere in the Spectre.

Talea jogged after Tull, catching up with him as he made his way to his quarters, "Excuse me, Tull? I was wondering when you wanted to discuss what we are going to do when we reach our destination."

He turned around and looked her up and down slowly, obviously evaluating her in some silent way. He finally asked, "How would you kill me?"

Talea blinked, unsure what to say. He closed the space between then, almost touching his nose to hers, "I asked you, how would you kill me?"

A sassy grin crept onto her face and she replied, "Preferably from a distance."

Tull eased up and returned the grin, "Well, at least you would have a plan. My point is that you should always be thinking about how you would kill any given person in the room with you at all times. Be polite, professional, even flirt if that's your thing, but always be prepared to do your job. Enemies don't often give you time to prepare. Our enemies will work extra hard to get right up next to you before you have a hint they are coming, so ALWAYS be ready."

His door opened and he stepped inside. The light was dim, but she could see the bed was covered in furs and there was some equipment hung on the walls. He said, I have standard ideas for when I go into places, but everyone thinks a little different. I suggest that you hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Carry at least one or two non-energy based weapons at all times, including next to your bed when you sleep. A ship like this confines invaders and makes them easier to deal with, but you have to be willing to be right on top of them. When in doubt, for an Away Team, we're more interested in getting away than fighting. If we get something special, we'll deal with it then."

He locked eyes with her as she stood in the doorway, "You didn't seem upset when I killed that Vulcan. That's good. Have you killed people? I don't need a number, I just need to know you won't hesitate if it comes to it."

Talea almost looked insulted when Tull asked if she had killed before, but realized it was legitimate question. "Yes I have, though I prefer not to. Given the occupation I know it has to be done, and I don't hesitate, especially if it means my life and those around me. I'll take your recommendation on weapons to heart. I tend to carry a few blades as well as old earth projectile weapons, depending on the situation. As you said it always helps to be prepared. Sir, what are your instincts telling you about this mission?"

He took some gear off a chair and offered her the seat, tossing the gear into the corner, "I've seen your record, but those are just words. I like to see your eyes when I ask a question like that. I also don't smell fear on you. That's good. I look at you and I see a fighter. You might not always want to fight, but I think you'll do fine." He noticed she was still waiting for an answer and he grinned as he took off his axe and hung it up, "You're right to be worried about the mission. In spite of what Kelly said, we've never been on a milk run. I've been with her since before she got this ship and I'm not even sure what that term means. It is a rare moment that we don't find death waiting for us, or pursuing us once our feet are wet."

He took his vest and shirt off, tossing them on top of a few other articles of dirty clothing, exposing his upper body. He was very muscular and covered in a thin layer of fine fur that was almost transparent. The exception was the fur that ran from his head and continued down his back, disappearing into his pants. He stretched and flexed, obviously glad to be free of his restrictions at last, he kicked off his boots into the corner as well. His joints protested loudly, but he seemed more relaxed. It was almost humorous as he shook himself like a dog might, causing his fur to finally smooth out along his back.

He looked to her once more and grinned, "Sorry, after such a long day, I couldn't wait to get that stuff off. Listen, if you're worried about when we arrive in the system, I suggest that you be prepared to lead a squad. Learn the layout of this ship inside and out. If you need to react on the ship, you don't want to have to ask directions. It's unlikely that we'll drop into trouble, but if we do, we kill anything that steps foot on this ship. If not, then be prepared to go with me to the surface and provide protection to the team that goes down." He put his hands on his hips and then added, "So, did you have any other questions? If not, I need a shower."

Talea realized for the first time that as much as he was canine, there wasn't much of a canine smell to the room. There was more a smell of leather, which might have been coming from the pile of furs. She had known Caitians that were terrible about hygiene and others that actually smelled rather nice, so she presumed it was the same with his people.

She decided that she had to speak what was on her mind and said, "Sir, to be fair, how would you kill me?" He smiled at her enough that the tips of his fangs made a rare showing. She persisted, "I'm serious. You asked me, so now you have me thinking about it and I want to know."

He finally responded, "Well, I would lunge at you to take you off balance, using my weight. Normally I would use your antenna against you to pull your head to the side while tearing at the muscle of your bicep, disabling it and then attack your neck. Since I can tell you're carrying weapons, I wouldn't risk you having a free hand. Grabbing both of your arms, I would rip out your throat with my teeth. You would be unconscious from rapid blood loss in a matter of seconds, so I wouldn't have to hold you long."

She smiled and looked down, nodding slowly to herself, "That would do it, though you might get in trouble with Nancy if you drank too much of my blood. Given that you seem to taste more than most people I've met, I'm just a little curious how it compares."

"Don't take it personally. It is a mental exercise for most, but for me it is a way of life. To me, it is natural and almost instinctive. You might want to think of a way to protect your antennas when not using them to enhance your senses. I knew a woman once that used the braiding of her hair to hold them down. You look intelligent, so I'm sure you'll think of something."

Talea yawned then shook her head, blushing slightly, "Sorry, been up over a day and a half and it seems I could use a nap. I'll leave you to your shower and I'm going to get some shut eye myself."

"You're sweet."

She had started turning to leave and spun at his words. They caught her off balance and she thought for a moment that he was possibly even hitting on her, "Excuse me?"

"Andorian blood. Some people are bitter or more metallic than others, but Andorian blood has more cobalt in it and for some reason it tastes a little sweet. I think it has to do with your metabolism. That's how it compares."

It registered what he was talking about and she recovered her composure, "Oh…interesting. Well, perhaps we can talk more tomorrow, so I can get to know how to best fit into your style of security."

Talea turned and headed out and for her room. She wasn't sure if that had gone well or not, but it had certainly been interesting. She was tired though and would think more on it once she had gotten some much needed rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Kat had decided to go to her quarters and grab a sonic shower before going to engineering and getting better acquainted with the staff. After the shower, she stood and looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but stare, seeing herself in a new light. Her red hair, green eyes and freckled face all looked the same at first, but the realization had her in a firm grip. She tried to give a nervous chuckle, but it swiftly faded. She was quite possibly the last remaining member of her entire family line and sole survivor of the attack on her home world. She reached up and touched the mirror, but instead of comfort, felt only the cold unyielding touch of the reflective surface. As a hot tear threatened to escape her eye, she slammed her fist down on the small counter in front of her and there was a flash of color to her face as she pointed a finger at the mirror, "Kathryn O'Clierigh get hold of herself. You are not some wee lass on her first time out. You are an O'Clierigh, for heaven's sake! You've no time for this. There are people's lives still at stake." She gave a small nod to the mirror and added, "You can grieve for the dead later, but for now, there's work to be done."

She got dressed and composed herself, giving a firm tug on the front of her uniform jacket before heading out to Main Engineering. When she got to her office, she discovered a familiar face waiting for her. The man looked to be in his late thirties, though the lines around his eyes said he was closer to his mid-forties. His dark black hair had a few streaks of grey and it was obvious he was of Latin decent.

"Well, well, well! It really IS a small universe! How are you Red?" he said with a smile. Kat stopped dead in her tracks and her face lit up. Without warning she rushed over and practically tackled the man as she gave him a fierce hug.

"Ramirez! Oh my god! I am glad to see you!" She said. Chief Petty Officer Raul Ramirez had served with Kat before and was like a second father to the woman. They were clearly surprised to see each other. She hugged him longer than she had intended to, but he simply patted her on the back until she let him go. "I'm glad you're alright. After the attack on Earth I don't know who's dead or who's alive." She struggled to not get emotional, "It's good seeing a familiar face." She wiped at one eye, "I'm sorry. It's just…"

Ramirez hugged her again then broke away slowly with a wave of his hand, "Say no more or you'll get me going too. I'm still trying to cope myself. Luckily burying oneself in their work is easy to do around here." With a laugh and a gesture to the ship around them, "This ship is simply AMAZING! I tell you it's an Engineer's wet dream! I bet you can guess why you haven't heard from me in so long. The brass decided my talents would be better served here."

Kat laughed, "So I've been told. The captain claims she designed the propulsion systems and we can sustain warp factor 14. I am curious on how she accomplished this. I know theoretically it's possible, the math is there, but we haven't found a way to do it without blowing up, or being subjected to horrible side effects. If she managed to make it work I want to see it in action, and see what I can do to improve it. You know me, I love to tinker."

He made a pained face, "We could theoretically hit warp 14, but certainly not hold it. As for blowing up in the attempt, it is an interesting thing you mention that. Frankly, that's how we do it." Ramirez smiled. "Let me give you the grand tour then. From what I heard you are the boss lady now down here. I trust you'll do it like last time?"

She nodded, "I let my middle managers do their jobs. I plan on holding a meeting with the leads to get to know the command structure of the department and see who fits best where. Let them know I'm not here to step on toes and all that. You've been through my open door swings both ways speech so you know what to expect. So if that is all Pops, can we get on with the tour?"

Ramirez laughed as he led her out and gave her the tour of engineering, "Well, with this small of a ship, you don't have as many people to chase after. The entire crew is less than 50 people, last time I counted."

She stopped several times at various points in his tour, checking consoles and looking things over. What she saw impressed her immensely. "Ramirez, I have to say she is a bloody genius! I am surprised the Vulcan Science Academy or the Corps of Engineers hadn't snatched her up! Seriously, with a few minor alterations we could probably increase our sustainable speed! This is unbelievable!"

Ramirez chuckled again as they continued to walk. "Word is that some people tried, but she doesn't always play well with others. Not sure if there's truth to it or not, but here she is on this ship. It's theoretically possible to go faster than this bucket of bolts will move, but I don't see it happening with this ship. You would need a bigger ship with a more powerful warp core. This one was modified and without the structural modifications would rip itself apart as it is. The stress we put on the ship at the higher warps keep us very busy. Billy will tell you more about it when he gets back from sickbay, but he's the local miracle worker. As he likes to say, he can talk to the ship. It's downright spooky sometimes how he finds cracks and problems. After the amount of time I've been on this ship, I'm beginning to think maybe it does talk to him a little." Kat looked at him quizzically. He chuckled, "You'll see soon enough."

As he walked away, she said, "Set up that meeting soon and have your miracle worker find me. We are arriving at our destination within the next 36 hours or less and I would like to get things accomplished before getting some shut eye. You have no idea how glad I am to see you here Pops."

Ramirez smiled and nodded. "Aye Sir, and welcome to the Spectre." he said before going off to do as she ordered.

Kat walked back to her office and was glad to see a replicator there. She made herself a strong cup of coffee and began to get settled in. Being the new CEO meant she had to get her authorizations in order, which took her all of ten minutes. Once she was settled in, she began to get to work. The first thing she did was to familiarize herself with the current warp engine systems, learning their nuances and how the experimental drive differed from the standard one. In many ways it reminded her of the transwarp drives they tried to develop a couple hundred years ago with the Excelsior Class. She always had a fond spot for that class and wished they would have found a way to refit it like they did with the Constitution class, but that was all in the past. The breakthroughs the Captain had made were revolutionary and could help change the way the Federation made vessels. Kat was also impressed with the cloaking device. The fact they could fire while cloaked was truly a marvel. Once she saw how the pulse canon capacitors were set up in the system, she understood how they could do it all, but it was always a tradeoff once combat started. There were always more demands on power than you had power to give, even with fancy modified warp cores.

Kat seemed to have hit the jackpot with this ship. She loved to tinker with experimental technology and there was no short supply of it here. It seemed from what she gathered that the brass who had assembled this crew had taken the best and brightest in their fields to do what they do. The only one she wasn't sure about was Valentine. She had warmed up to the man rather quickly and found him charming if not a bit cliché. Prior to them getting this assignment he was helping her on Vulcan while they did what they could with the refugees. He seemed more of the cloak and dagger type, and on a few occasions had come to her rescue. Needless to say, he wasn't very popular with some of the Vulcans, but something always managed to keep him out of a holding cell. He never really talked much about his past, save for the mention of a sister. For as boisterous as he was, he was a surprisingly private man. Kat shook her head wondering why suddenly she was thinking about Valentine. Maybe the man had more of an effect on her than she thought.

A few moments later, Kat overheard an exchange between Ramirez and another man, "What's all the moaning about Mister?"

The man replied "Its Tull, Sir. There is a faulty bypass valve in his quarters and well..."

Ramirez shook his head. "Let me guess, he is off duty and no one wants to go fix it?" The man nodded as Ramirez shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it." The man had a look of pure relief on his face as he thanked Ramirez and ran off.

Kat asked, "What was that about?"

Ramirez sighed, "I take it you met Tull?"

"Yes he was with Captain Longbow when they picked us up from Vulcan. He is a rather…primal man." Ramirez cocked his head to the side and looked at her quizzically. The way she beamed when she said that was rather uncharacteristic of her. "What?"

Ramirez shook his head. "He can be rather feral at times. I'm not happy with having that animal on a ship like this. The last time we had to do a repair in his quarters one of the engineers apparently crossed some line with him and Tull put him in Sickbay. Ever since then we prefer to do repairs while he is on the Bridge or away, and make it a point to do it quickly. He and I seem to have an unspoken understanding of sorts. Bears seems to be the only other male he will let in his quarters without much fuss."

It was Kat's turn to nod, her eyes reflecting deep thought, "Well if he has such an issue with men, why not send a woman? You can't tell me I am the only one here."

Ramirez shrugged and she rolled her eyes, "Well then, perhaps I should go and handle it myself, and let him know that if he maims another member of my crew, I'll personally see that he gets neutered. There's nothing like leading from the front to impress the troops, right?"

He raised his eyebrows and with a sympathetic smile replied, "It was nice knowing you, boss."

He walked away, shaking his head and she called after him as she headed toward the door, "Thank you for that enormous vote of confidence." Ramirez didn't turn around, but waved a hand over his head as he kept walking.

Kat grabbed a tool kit and her PADD and headed towards Tull's quarters. While walking, she brought up the schematic, showing the location of the part. Being a relatively small ship, it didn't take long to arrive at the door to his quarters. She rang the chime, but there was no answer. She even knocked, but still nothing. Feeling that perhaps luck was with her and he had gone to get something to eat, she used her access code to open the door. She stepped into the dimly lit room and glanced around at the gear and the bed covered in furs. It made her grin that it seemed so fitting for him to sleep on a pile of furs. She could hear dripping water somewhere and worried maybe there was damaged plumbing that was causing their issues, but as she set down her tool kit and took a step forward, she discovered her mistake.

In the small alcove that was a poor excuse for a bathroom, she heard movement. Tull then stepped out of the shower and the automatic air blowers on the wall started drying him. He was rubbing at his fur with a small towel to help speed up the process. His back was still to her, but then after a couple of seconds, the blowers turned off. When they did, he froze and everything seemed to move in slow motion from Kat's perspective. The towel floated to the floor and she saw the hairs on his back and neck stand up. Tull spun around and went into a crouch, ready to leap to the attack. The way his lips curled back from his teeth was a startling image, but it was the deep growl that he let out that scared the life out of her. She was across the room, but could feel the vibration of that growl in her own chest. It startled her so much that as she tried backing up, her foot tripped over her tool kit and she began to fall. She never hit the floor.

Tull was there instantly, but not to attack. She hadn't even seen him move, but he had caught her. The sudden contact still got a small bark of surprise out of her. When her eyes returned to Tull's face, he looked perfectly calm. He was holding her by the arms, helping her to a standing position again.

He then let her go and took a slow step backward holding his hands in front of him, so she could see that he wasn't going to harm her, "Sorry about that, you startled me."

She quickly recovered her wits and stepped around her tool kit again, "I startled YOU?"

He chuckled, "Well, you did sneak into my quarters, so I think I get to be the one startled first."

"Sorry. I rang, but there was no answer."

He frowned, "It must have been while the water was running."

"Oh, so you have an actual water shower? Very nice."

He shrugged, "Well, I can't stand the sound of the sonic ones. They really hurt my ears."

She had never thought about that, but it made sense and she nodded, "Well, I'm sorry to intrude like this. I came to make a repair to a line that runs through here. I didn't mean to um…"

It was then that she realized that he was still standing in front of her with nothing on. She had to admit that she didn't mind the view. His muscle definition was exceptional and the thin layer of hair that covered his body made him not appear as naked as a human might. Kat blushed a little as she reminded herself to look him in the eyes. 

Tull got the hint and reached over for a pair of shorts, slipping them on, "Sorry about that."

Still blushing, Kat tried to make light of it, "Not a problem…I…you…um…"

He chuckled, "So, what's this repair?"

That helped snap her back to the task at hand, "Yes, the repair. It should be right behind that panel."

She stepped past him and popped it open, setting it on the floor, but frowned as she consulted her PADD. She then popped off the upper panel and cursed, "Well, there it is, but I'm going to need to get something so I can reach it."

Tull was taller and took a look, "Don't be foolish. I'll help you. Get on my shoulders. If you kneel on them, you should be able to reach back there and get at it."

She thought he was kidding at first, but saw no hint of a grin. Shrugging, she decided to give it a try. She grabbed a couple of tools, tucked them in her belt and he crouched down. Kat climbed onto his back and he stood up, holding his hands up for her to steady herself with, "You do this like you've done it a few times before."

He confessed, "Well, maybe a time or two. On a small ship like this, we learn to work as a team. Can you reach it?"

She tried, but her sleeves were in the way. She had to remove her jacket and toss it on the deck. In her shirt, her arms were bare and she felt how soft his fur was against her skin. Once again, her memories of her dog willow threatened to flood her thoughts. His fur was much softer than she expected it to be and she was distracted for a moment before forcing herself to focus.

"You know, it is interesting that you're so helpful about this repair. I was told that the engineers avoid coming in here at all costs. They're afraid that you'll rip them in half or something."

He replied, "Well, there was an instance where a technician was rather insistent about a repair once. I threw him out and he injured his shoulder, but it was less than he deserved."

She turned and looked at him, "Less than he deserved? You attacked him for wanting to repair the ship?"

He chuckled, "No, I attacked him for refusing to stay out while we were docked at a station and…well…let's say that I was not alone. It wasn't like the repair was an emergency and I was…busy…"

She gave a mild giggle as she struggled to get at the part. It was hard to reach, but she finally found how to get at it. Once it was out, she was able to find the faulty pressure sensor and swap it out as she balanced on his shoulders. He never once shifted his weight or waivered. It was like kneeling on a rock solid table covered by a soft fur rug. As she was returning the part to service though, she hit her arm against another line that wasn't well insulated and burned herself. It wasn't bad, but it hurt like hell and she let out a string of curses as she slid down his back.

He smiled, "Can't fix it?"

She gave another curse and then held up her filthy arms and said, "No, I got it fixed, but I burned myself and I just took a shower before coming here too!"

He laughed and added, "That explains why you smell like flowers." He pointed with a finger and teased, "You have a smudge on your nose too. You almost look like me. It's a good look for you."

That made her smile as she bent down and picked up the damp towel from the floor to wipe herself off with. They were both getting a chuckle out of it until she looked in the mirror and wiped at the smudge on her nose. As she did so, she got a good smell of the towel and the flood of memories came back again, this time unabated.

Tull realized she was using his wet towel and reached for it, holding out a clean one, "Oh, here! Use a clean one."

She wouldn't let him have it though. Kat reflexively pulled away in strong protest, still holding the towel to her face. The smell of the towel reminded her of that clean fur smell of her dog and so many memories flooded her mind that she wasn't even seeing or hearing Tull for a moment.

Tull was stunned. This pretty woman had used his wet towel and he tried to give her a clean one, but she refused and seemed almost insulted or angry. Who refuses a clean towel? Furthermore, she was holding it to her face and…smelling it. His eyebrows went up in disbelief as she did it again, deliberately breathing in the smell of the towel. Tull was completely unaware of his reflex reaction to this, which was to stare and tilt his head to one side. His doing this seemed to trigger something in Kat, but instead of a smile, tears began running down her cheeks. Tull now glanced around, as if there were possibly someone else in the room for him to ask for help, but they were still alone, so he cautiously asked, "Are you okay?"

Kat's eyes seemed to finally focus on him and seemed to return to her senses as she took a deep breath, replying, "I'm sorry. That smell…that…clean fur smell…it…my dog Willow…she…"

Tull nodded and gave a look that was equal parts disappointed and dismissive, "Ah, I see. I smell like a wet dog, so it reminded you of a pet."

He was shocked as Kat responded in a burst of anger, slapping him across the face. His eyes were still wide when she then started striking him in the chest with a fist, "How dare you!"

He let her violence go unchecked, "Huh?"

She continued, unrelenting, "She wasn't just some stupid little pet! I grew up almost my entire life with her, from a small child until just before I went to the Academy. I raised her from a puppy, nursing her by hand when her mother had died. She was almost like my child. Willow was my friend, my companion, my playmate and confidant that I shared my deepest secrets with, when I had nobody else to talk to and…she's not only gone, but everything from my entire life is gone. Everything I had that reminded me of my entire life is gone, you son of a bitch!"

Tull stepped forward. She hit him on the chest again, harder, but he let her and he kept slowly inching forward. She hit him again, but now with less strength as he wrapped his huge arms around her. Scooping her up, she collapsed into him, sobbing and burying her face in his neck. She let it go and she cried hard. It was a wave that washed over her and her sobs turned into a full force, ugly torrent of tears and wailing that came from the soul. It didn't last long, but it was strong and her entire body shook from the effort of it.

She had no idea how long it had lasted, but when she had exhausted herself and the wave had passed, she began to realize what had happened. She had cried in his arms and he was still holding her close, letting her catch her breath. Somewhere along the way, she had put her arms around him and had been cheek to cheek with him. She could feel her own tears on his face, caught in the fine fur that was as soft as silk. Her breathing was becoming more steady now, but she couldn't help but close her eyes and continue to hold her face against his a moment longer. That was when she noticed the change. She could feel his pulse had quickened a little and he was gently moving his face against hers as well.

Kat slowly picked up her head and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. She had lost all control and felt embarrassed by that display, yet could not deny that her heart felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from it. In the wake of such an emotional purge, she felt like her mind was clearer than it had been in ages. Tull was still holding her, but loosened his hold so she could move freely. They stared at each other for a moment before she said in a near whisper, "I'm sorry."

He said back, in just as soft of a tone, "Are you going to be okay?"

The tenderness with which he said it almost sent her into tears again, revealing to her brain that although she was regaining her composure, she was still dangerously close to some tipping point. Here she was, in the arms of this savage beast, but he was holding her as gently as a mother might hold her child and he was whispering concern for her. That realization had rendered her speechless.

Thankfully, Tull broke the new silence that had formed between them, "It has been a very long time since anyone did that." Kat thought he meant about her crying, but understanding dawned on her as he went on, "You smelled my scent and it brought to you images of home and loved ones. You smelled it more than once and with great purpose, because it spoke to you. Then, when you had calmed some, you…I don't know the human word for it."

He timidly leaned forward the couple of inches and gently rubbed the soft fur of his muzzle against the side of her nose and then retreated. His eyes searched hers for an answer.

She grinned at the delicate gesture and looked into his eyes as she said, "Nuzzle…we call it a nuzzle…"

This time he took a deep breath and seemed at a loss for words. She could tell that he was thinking about something. She couldn't think of what to say next, but was rescued by the sound of her comm badge chirping.

[Ramirez to O'Cleirigh, great work! We show that bypass back online and it is responding to all tests now.]

Kat heard it come from her jacket that she had tossed on the floor. Having recovered her wits enough, she stood and looked for her jacket. Finding it, she pressed the badge and replied, "That's great to hear. I'm almost finished up here. I'll brief you when I get back to my office."

The badge chirped as the channel closed and she turned to look at Tull. She went to put on her jacket, but the pain of her arm reminded her of the error and that she still needed to stop by Sickbay. She put her tools back in the kit and picked it up. Tull took a step closer and reached for the now rather dirty towel, but again, Kat pulled it to her and said, "No…I think that I'll keep it for now, if you don't mind."

Again, his eyebrows raised and a grin slid onto his face, "As you wish."

She took a deep breath and tried to be her bold, more normal self, "Listen…um…thank you…I'm sorry that I…"

He interrupted her by saying in a calm and firm tone that sounded almost spiritual, "I will never speak of it unless you bring it up first. I would never betray such a personal secret."

She could still see that his cheek was wet from her tears and she went to wipe at his cheek, but it was his turn to pull away. He shook his head slowly, "I shared your tears. They're mine now." He glanced at her arm, "Go to Sickbay before that leaves a scar."

Kat nodded and not knowing what else to say, she left before it got even more awkward again. Once out in the corridor, she was suddenly aware that it was cooler than it had been in his quarters. Perhaps it had been the heat from the conduits, but she suddenly felt colder and more alone with the door shut behind her.

Sickbay wasn't very large and Nancy was standing next to a storage locker, taking inventory of something. Kat held up her arm as she walked over and Nancy shook her head, "Wow, you couldn't even go a single day before injuring yourself? That's dedication to your craft!"

Nancy gestured to a chair and Kat plopped into it. She scanned the burn and quickly began treating it. "This isn't too bad. We can get this fixed up in no time at all."

Kat asked, "Nancy, you warned me about Tull. I'm a little worried that maybe I'm having a reaction to him of some kind."

Nancy continued to work on the burn and asked, "Are you allergic to any animals that you know of?"

Kat shook her head, "No, I don't think so. I was thinking about what you told me though and I was worried that maybe there was some kind of pheromone based effect or something."

"A what?"

Giving a little sigh, she tried again, "I don't know what you call it, but like how Orion women affect come males. I don't know exactly, but is there anything like that to worry about?"

Nancy laughed, "Tull? No. Why do you ask?"

Kat held out the towel and said, "Smell this and tell me what you think."

Nancy took a sniff and shrugged, "Wet fur. I had a Caitian roommate at the Academy for a while and I couldn't get away from it. What about it?"

Kat took another sniff of it and instantly thought of Willow again, but this time also was reminded of Tull. The emotions that accompanied the thoughts were quite similar. Kat looked up to see Nancy staring at her and grinning, "What?"

Nancy finished with the burn and patted her arm, "There, good as new." She put the instruments away and then sat in the other chair, looking at Kat, "You know, smells are one of the strongest triggers for memories. They are integral to moments in our life and they can be very powerful. That said, there's nothing I can give you to help you with what I think is afflicting you."

Kat looked concerned, "Afflicting me? What the heck do I have?"

Nancy patted Kat's leg and chuckled, "You, my dear, quite literally, have a case of puppy love."

Kat simply stared at her in wide eyed disbelief.

Nancy saw the look and said, "Why do you look so shocked?" Kat still said nothing, so Nancy continued, "Listen, I can feel you are an extremely confused person right now and frankly, you're a bit of an emotional wreck. Given what happened to your home, I can understand, but…I don't know. It feels like it goes deeper than that. Did something happen?" Nancy's look turned a bit more worried, "Tull didn't say or do anything inappropriate, did he?"

Kat blushed, "No! It wasn't like that."

"Still…something happened. You sure you don't want to talk about it? Trust me, if he stepped out of line, I can have a word with him. I've known him for a long time and…"

Kat smiled, "No, I don't think there's any cause for that. It's just that…well…he's such a contradiction. Earlier today, I saw him disembowel a man without missing a beat. He never got angry, but he seemed…protective. It was over before I even knew what was happening."

Nancy nodded, "Well, that sounds like Tull, alright. He's unfiltered, which makes him a terrible liar, but to say that he can be passionate about something would be quite an understatement. We depend on his protectiveness, loyalty and ability to do what he does. I've seen him angry a couple of times and it is not a pretty sight. When he's happy, you know it too. I can almost imagine him wagging his tail, if he had one. I think that would be just too comical though. Thankfully, he's more human than that, but you can still tell when he gets excited like that."

Kat agreed, "Yes, oddly enough, I can imagine that. At the same time that he can be this savage killer, there is this other side to him that I was so caught off guard by."

Nancy stopped what she was doing with arranging the instruments on the tray next to her and looked at Kat, "What do you mean?"

Kat blushed a little again and looked away, "I…it's hard to put into words…he was kind and gentle. I've never seen such caring." She shook her head, "He's just such a big, furry contradiction!"

Nancy's grin returned and she nodded, "Well, that is definitely interesting. First of all, it is a rare instance indeed for Tull to be warm and fuzzy with someone. Maybe I should ask Security if I can review the sensor logs from his quarters to…"

"NO!...Um…no, there's no need for that."

Nancy's grin widened, seeing that something obviously embarrassing had happened, but Kat wanted to keep it private. "Listen, Tull doesn't exactly have a gift like mine, but his genetics certainly give him some kind of an edge that is almost as good. He's incredibly empathetic to those around him. He can pick up on the fear of an enemy, he can often tell when someone is lying, and he can also tell when you're feeling something. I don't know if it is something he can see, smell or pick up on with some other sense, but he does and it serves him well. I don't know what it is that you're referring to, and since you don't want me to know, I'll not pry. Know that Tull is one of the worst people you could ever have as an enemy, but he is also one of the best friends that you could want as well."

Kat saw a glint in Nancy's eye that caught her attention and she asked, "You love him, don't you?"

Nancy gave a short laugh, "I suppose I do, but it's the kind of love of friends that have been through quite a bit together. He's saved my life more times than I can count and I've helped patch him up from more injuries than one person should be able to survive. He's become something between a brother and a big teddy bear that is equal parts cuddly and lethal."

Kat could understand that and said, "I'm a little envious of you. You've managed to keep so many people you care about close to you. That's not an easy task in our line of work."

"Oh, I don't know. We've lost quite a few too. I do like making new friends though. I'm hoping that you won't limit your visits to just getting patched up. We seem to have a higher than normal number of ladies on this ship, and I'm rather excited to see you added to the list. I may not know much about engineering stuff, but I do know people. You feel like good people."


	8. Chapter 8

The chime rang in the Captains quarters and she responded with a single word, "Open."

The door slid open and the new science officer cautiously stepped inside. The lights were dim and there was some kind of music playing, but it was fairly low. Sam could make out something of a guitar, perhaps some blues or the likes, but it was catchy and relaxing, which was probably the point. It too Sam a moment to spot the Captain in the faint light, "Ah, there you are. Um, am I disturbing you? Perhaps I should come back another time?"

Kelly had been lounging back on her bed and slowly sat up. She was holding a glass of something and took a sip before setting it on a small end table, "No, you're fine. I was just relaxing."

Sam took another step closer and asked, "Captain, is that alcohol?"

Kelly tilted her head, struggling to remain patient and said only, "I'm pretty sure my choice of beverage is not what brought you here. You've worked up the nerve to come and disturb me in my quarters, now speak up before you change your mind."

Sam was a little flustered and managed to finally say, "Well, I was thinking that I shouldn't delay with the upgrades that were discussed with me as part of my mission briefing. I'm trusting that those were legitimate requests, yes?"

Kelly rubbed her hand over her face and focused a moment, "Yes, the upgrades. What did you want to work on first?"

Sam became a little more confident with the conversation moving into her territory now, "I have already began modifications of my private quarters with the prototype systems for personal use, but thought I might integrate my software modifications to the holodeck to give a demonstration and as a viability verification for the rest of the systems."

Kelly thought a moment and then gave a single nod, "I like the sound of it. Make it happen."

With a big smile, Sam said, "Excellent! Do you have a program that you're very familiar with? I would like your opinion first and foremost. As a fellow scientist and my Captain, I seek your approval and to impress you would be one of my goals. I would also respect your feedback if you found anything critical with it."

"Sure, I have a good one in mind, but how soon will it be ready? I don't know when we might…"

"Now…"

Kelly looked confused, "What?"

Sam smiled wide, "I would like you to try it now, if you don't mind. I don't know when we might get the chance once we arrive at this colony, and I can't proceed with the other upgrades and modifications until we test it with a closed program first."

Kelly seemed to consider this and then said, "Oh…well…wait, when did you modify the system?"

"I did it when you gave me the approval and it is almost finished. It can't implement completely until it is shut down. Someone is using it right now."

Kelly began looking around. She stood up and was dressed in only pants and a tank top. "How did you…oh…right…never mind."

The Captain began to lead the way out the door when Sam asked, "Aren't you going to put on any shoes?"

"Nah, I won't need them for the program we're going to test out."

Sam seemed to understand the logic of that and jogged to catch up.

Valentine was just exiting the holodeck, when the Captain and Sam same around the corner. He was surprised to see his CO wandering the ship bare foot and with a casual top shirt with the sleeves rolled up unbuttoned and sowing what looked to be a tank top under it. Her hair was completely down and she looked almost as if she were looking for a late night snack. "Captain?"

Kelly gave him a nod and said, "You got it right on the first try. I hear that's a good sign."

His expression turned to one of puzzlement as she walked past him, pointed at the console next to the door of the holodeck and said to Sam, "So do your thing first and then I'll give it a try."

Valentine asked Sam as she moved past him in turn, "What's going on?" He looked at the Captain and asked with a knowing grin, "Do I detect the smell of tequila?"

Sam tossed a reply over her shoulder, as if it were nothing, "I'm upgrading the holodeck as a test before upgrading some of the other systems. The ship uses lots of holographic interfaces and…"

Kelly tapped her on the shoulder, "Brief him later."

Sam blushed, "Oh! Right…sorry, Captain." She stepped up to the console updated the final couple of files and then initiated a simple restart. Within seconds it was ready.

Kelly then tapped in her menu request and the doors opened. Without hesitation, she stepped in and began looking around. Sam followed close behind and with only a small hesitation, Valentine decided he would tag along and stepped inside as well. The smell of a forest and the sound of gently running water greeted them.

The program appeared to be a forest of some kind, with a path and steps going up a gentle rise. Sam was looking around and said, "Oh, this will be a perfect test! An excellent choice, Captain!"

Sam was looking closely at some of the foliage around them and Valentine followed the Captain to the top of the small rise. He smiled as he realized it gave way to a grassy clearing. The trees ended after only a few dozen meters, revealing a lake with a large open shore. There was lots of wilderness around the lake, but in front of them was a large grassy area, which then surrendered to a sandy beach. It was obviously intended to be used for relaxation. Still, it felt like a small piece of civilization staked out in the midst of a vast tropical wilderness. Birds and other wildlife could be heard in the distance.

Kelly was standing on the grass and looking around. The sun looked to be half way up or half way down, she wasn't sure which, but it was bright and warm and felt wonderful. Valentine had enjoyed many such programs before, but never one quite so realistic as this. That was when it hit him, it was the smells. The look of it was amazing, but it was the smells that made it so real. Everything was there, even the bad smells.

Sam stepped out of the brush with a huge smile on her face, beaming with excitement, "Oh, this is wonderful. I'll begin the rest of the upgrades right away." She stepped up next to Valentine and seemed different. For the first time, Valentine caught a whiff of something from her. He wasn't sure if it was a perfume or maybe just the smell of her shampoo that she used, but he was certain that he had not smelled it when she had walked past him outside in the corridor.

Valentine placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. She turned toward him and he asked, "What did you do?"

Kelly was looking around with a smile, "Yes, what did you do? It's the same place, but…different…I always loved it before, but it still felt like a program. This…this feels like we beamed down to a planet. I've never see a program so real." She bent down and grabbed a handful of soil and smelling it before rubbing it between her fingers, nodding to herself with a smile of approval.

Sam replied, "Well, simply put, I increased the resolution. It takes more memory to run something like this, but not nearly what you might think. I could explain it in great detail, but I doubt you would really care beyond what I've just told you."

When Sam spoke, Valentine even felt her breath on his face for the first time. He wasn't sure if being in this place had somehow heightened his awareness of such details or if it was something else. He couldn't help but think that Sam felt different, but perhaps it was because she looked like a giddy kid playing with a new toy.

Kelly was at the edge of the water, bending down and running her fingers through it, "You're not just simulating the environment from a superficial level anymore. Have you actually replicated it all? That would take quite a bit of energy and matter, even if you converted it back when you were done."

Sam corrected her, "No. It's true that some of it is replicated, just like before. I mean, if you had a sandwich in here, it would be real food, and some of this is real, but the simulation operates on the molecular level. Most holographic programs operate like an elaborate optical illusion, using force fields to reinforce the illusion. The plants here have actual simulated DNA that you could study, if you wanted to. The soil has simulated organic activity."

Valentine slapped a hand against his arm, "It also has simulated insects?"

Sam laughed, "Yes, it's an entire ecosystem. This is a detailed simulation of a real place. In fact, if you look over by that bush, you'll discover some scat that confirms once and for all where the local animal wildlife defecates. Highly detailed simulations like this were used for teaching in certain Academy courses prior to field work, or to test hypothetical effects on species or systems."

Valentine was noticing that Sam was actually beginning to sweat as she stood there in the hot sun. She was overjoyed at the success of her test and looking all around. Then he saw Sam was looking past him, her eyes went wide as she blushed and looked at him, "Maybe we should go…"

From behind him, he heard a splash. He turned to see a pile of clothing on the shore and the Captain surfacing from a brief swim under the water. Kelly shouted, "Oh, you got the water temperature perfect. This is wonderful."

Sam took a couple of steps toward the shore and said, "Captain, I'm not sure what your expectations are in this situation. Do you wish for us to leave, so that you can have some privacy?"

Kelly stopped swimming and stood on the bottom, turning to look at them. The water still came nearly to her shoulders, not yet violating any rules of modesty, but with her clothes obviously on the shore, there left little doubt that she was swimming nude.

Kelly wiped the water from her eyes and said, "Listen, this program is used by everyone on the ship. We don't have a real lounge, so this is as close as we get. Unless a program is part of your duties, like a training simulation, while in here we make every effort to leave rank outside. In here, you're not only allowed, but encouraged to call me Kelly. There's a place for rank, but it is rare on this ship. You'll find that on this ship, authority comes with purpose. The person with the experience is going to take lead. To do otherwise tends to get people killed. Now, you may stay or leave, as you wish, but I'm going to enjoy a swim. Fair warning though, as we're all adults on this ship, a place like this is clothing optional. Any touching is at your own risk."

Sam began to approach the edge of the water, seeming unsure of how to proceed. Valentine, on the other hand, strolled right over and began shedding his clothing, leaving it in a pile next to the Captain's. As he did so, he commented, "You know, I've known some commanding officers that were pretty relaxed on formalities, but you really take casual attire to a whole new level, boss."

Kelly was once more treading water and gradually moving into deeper water. She was slowly progressing toward the small waterfall at one end of the tiny lake. The water fell from a cliff that was only about ten meters high. It made a picturesque shower area, and the water fell gently, striking rocks along the side just enough to turn it into a spray. It was very close to a hot mineral pool. The location was perhaps a bit unnatural, but not an impossible arrangement. The mineral content of the lake was a delight to the senses and there was a small outlet at the other end of the lake, presumably leading to a larger body of water.

Sam had wandered over to examine some of the details of the landscape. She was looking around at the plant and animal life with interest, sometimes picking a leaf and tasting or smelling it. She even found a few berries that she nibbled on while wandering along the shore.

Valentine had stripped down and was testing the temperature of the water with one foot. Kelly teased him, "You going to stand there all day or jump in, you big baby?"

He chuckled, "I was letting you admire the view." He then struck several exaggerated body building poses to try and show off.

Sam giggled at his antics and blushed, "You two are crazy!"

Kelly smiled and replied, "That's strange, I didn't think the air was that cold. Look at the bright side though, if there are fish in here, you're not likely to be at risk."

Now it was Valentine's turn to blush. He shook a finger at Kelly and then dove in. When he surfaced, he swam toward her and said with a playful grin, "That was mean."

She grinned back, "Maybe a little, but you're the one who was posing."

Swimming leisurely over to the far shore, she found the steps that were carved into the rock there and climbed out of the water. Her dark hair came down between her shoulder blades and she made no effort to hide herself. Valentine got a good view of her athletic figure, noting the few faint battle scars that marked it. They appeared as little more than differences in skin tone, but a couple were long and looked to have been quite impressive. There was even a series of lines that looked to be large claw marks. When she turned and looked around, he barely noticed a small tattoo of an oriental dragon that was quite low on her abdomen and would normally be hidden below the waistband of all but the skimpiest clothing. Watching her walk was like watching a big cat move. There was a muscular grace in her walk. Each silent step was placed with care and her balance was never in question. She finally reached the hot mineral spring and tested the water with one foot before stepping in. She sat down and rested her head against the side, letting the heat sooth her.

Valentine decided to join her and slid into the steaming water as well. He found a small ledge to sit on that put him chest deep, but gave him a great view of Kelly as she relaxed across from him. He was trying to think of what to say when she surprised him. With her eyes still closed, she grinned and said, "You know, if you keep staring at me like that, you're going to start making me blush. It's been a while since some young man stared at me that long."

He looked away and smiled, but then decided that since he had been caught, the harm had already been done so he looked back at her and replied, "Well, it's a good view."

Her grin turned into a smile, "It doesn't bother you that I'm old enough to be your mother?"

He chuckled, "Not looking like that. What can I say, I appreciate a beautiful woman."

"I appreciate the compliment, but warn you that you're fishing in the wrong pond. I never mix business and pleasure."

He used handfuls of the water to wash his face and enjoy the spring as he replied, "Fair enough. I wasn't really fishing, but message received. You strike me as a woman who would clearly let a man know if you were interested in him. You're a lady who doesn't mess around and waste time when it comes to such matters. Am I close?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Very good. See, that's one of the reasons why I picked you. You have a certain talent for picking up on things and I like that. Your boss wasn't eager to let you go, but I can be very convincing."

He gave a puzzled look, "I had no idea Captain Peterson was so fond of me."

She shook her head, "No, not him. I was referring to your handler at Starfleet Intelligence." He kept his poker face, but his heart skipped a beat. "Oh don't worry, there's no need to bring it up to anyone else. It doesn't matter now anyway. You no longer work for them in that capacity. You've moved up the chain a few steps. You're no longer a field agent or flunky t be ordered about and milked for information. No, now you work for me and we work the kind of stuff that they don't tend to know about until we tell them. That's why uniforms and regulations are a bit more relaxed on this ship. When Starfleet won't hesitate to throw you under the proverbial bus, the sentiment often goes both ways. Welcome to the bigger picture."

Valentine took a deep breath and tried shifting the conversation a little, "So, what's a pretty thing like you doing with a place like this?"

She chuckled, "Well, it's no secret that I don't always play well with others. This ship became a natural evolution for me at one point. I suppose I felt I didn't have anything left to lose, so I risked it all. They thought I was crazy, but they let me try my experiments. I developed a gravity drive, but it turned out to be too dangerous and so I turned to tackling the transwarp issue. One thing led to another and here I am. I now have a ship that shouldn't exist and do the impossible on a daily basis."

"Yes, but it sounds like a lonely way to go through life. Any regrets?"

She slid down and let her head slip under the water for a moment, then came back up, savoring the hot water treatment her body was getting, "Well, I suppose it isn't any different than any other Starfleet career path. It isn't really conducive to relationships and families. I've never really been the mommy type though, so it's probably just as well."

Leaning back and enjoying the view some more, he countered, "Oh, I don't know. In Vulcan terms, you're still pretty young. It's pretty common for those with longer life spans to focus on career and accomplishments when they're younger. With youth comes the eagerness to explore and do things. You're still doing things. There's still plenty of time to think about the other stuff."

She seemed to consider his words and looked at him, locking eyes for a change, "I suppose so. The tricky part is surviving that long. That's not been easy so far and something is telling me that it doesn't get easier with age."

"Yes, well that is the challenge, isn't it?"

She took a deep breath and stretched, "Well, Romeo, this show is over for now. This hot soak was just what I needed and if I stay here any longer I'm going to fall asleep in here."

She climbed out and walked over to the falls. She stood there and washed herself. There were a couple of small bottles of biodegradable shampoo and body wash resting on a ledge. She quickly washed her hair and was rinsing it as Valentine walked over to join her.

He asked, "Wash your back?"

She tossed him a challenging look and he held up his hands, "I'll behave myself. I promise. Something tells me that you could kick my ass if I didn't, so seriously, I'm just offering in friendship."

A hint of a grin crossed her face and she narrowed her eyes. She didn't say anything, but stepped out from under the water toward him a couple of steps and offered him her back.

He was true to his word and didn't betray the act of trust. He was surprised how toned her muscles felt under his hands. He soaped up her back and worked his way down to the top of her firm butt when she simply decided that was enough and she walked back into the gentle falls to rinse again. She tossed him a bigger grin, but still said nothing.

He joined her in the falls, briefly. She reached out and gave him a light shove. He thought she was pushing him away from her, not wishing to share the falls at first, but when he turned and gave her a questioning look, she was holding the bottle of body wash and made a twirling gesture with her finger for him to turn around. He gave a big grin as she then soaped up his back, but when she got to his ass, she simply gave it a playful slap and then stopped.

He turned to make a smartass comment, but she had already dove off the ledge and into the main pool. He shook his head as he watched her swim away. He rinsed off and when he looked back, she had reached the shore and was already pulling on her clothes. That was when he notice Sam was getting out of the water too, further down the bank.

His first thought was that someone else had joined them, or even that he was perhaps imagining what he was seeing. Seeing the lightly tanned figure of this beautiful woman rise from the water and slowly walk to the shore, was like witnessing some force of nature. Where Kelly was athletic and had defined muscle tone, Sam was soft curves that were breathtaking. He suddenly was reminded of various sculptures and paintings and realized that the image he was seeing was what they had all been after.

Sam wasn't using the beach, but instead preferred the grassy area. She had shed her clothing and had gone swimming after all. Instead of getting dressed, she walked over to a sunny patch of grass and lay down.

Kelly shouted out to Sam, "Well done! Very impressive and I'm eager to see your official report. You kids have fun."

Sam sat up and called after her as Kelly disappeared over the rise, "Thank you, Captain…um…Kelly…sir?…"

Valentine chuckled and finished his shower, then swam back across to the other shore. He walked over to join Sam. When he came over and sat down, she sat up and blushed, briefly trying to cover herself as a sort of reflex action. She seemed to realize there was no real need to cover herself though and gave him a polite smile as she turned and lay face down on the grass. He wasn't sure if she was still being shy or if she was just trying to dry her other side now.

As she got comfortable, something caught his eye. There were two tattoos, one on the back of each shoulder. One looked like some sort of geometric design or mandala. The other looked like some kind of Special Forces thing and it said "That Others May Live".

He stared at it for a moment and then asked, "That's an interesting tattoo you have. That saying sounds familiar. What's it from?"

She hesitated and then after what appeared to be a brief internal debate, she surprised him by turning on her side to face him and replied, "It was from an old military unit. They were dedicated to going behind enemy lines to rescue downed pilots. The people who trained me adopted it and I really liked it, so when my training was complete, I decided to carry it into the field with me."

Valentine was impressed, "Wow, I had no idea you had special training. That's good to know. Here I was worried that I might have to babysit you or something if we went on an Away Team."

She seemed amused by that and said, "I assure you, I can handle myself. I'm not saying I'm anything like Tull, but I can keep up and I'm not afraid to use a weapon if I have to."

He looked around and changed topic, "So, you're the resident computer wizard? Is that your big skill that you bring to the table?"

She looked down at a blade of grass that she pulled up out of the ground and replied softly, "I suppose so. The Captain wanted a number of upgrades done to her systems. The problem is that most of her systems are very unique, so there isn't a set way to upgrade them. You might say that things just sort of came together at the right time. It wasn't exactly planned out so much as all the stars just aligned perfectly and here I am."

Valentine glanced at himself and then looked her in the eye, "I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I? I noticed you seemed a bit shy before and I don't care what the Captain said, I don't want to make you feel strange around me or anything."

Sam smiled and shook her head, "No, not at all. It's just been a while, and I'm feeling a little self-conscious is all. In all honesty, this is good for me. I need to challenge myself in these small ways. I wasn't always this shy and unsure of myself, and I'm sure that one of these days, I will manage to let go of my insecurities and move forward."

He turned on his warm smile and worked hard to get her to look him in the eyes, turning on a little of his charm, "Oh, I don't know. You seem to be warming up to me alright."

"You seemed to be getting pretty friendly with the Captain. Will you be dropping by her quarters later?"

He shook his head, "Oh no, she made things quite clear on that subject."

Sam chuckled, "Wow, that's pretty bold of you to even suggest such a thing with your own Captain."

"Hey, Captains are people too. We all can use a little comforting and physical attention now and then. On a ship like this, with such high stress, a bit of release now and then is only natural."

She giggled, "You sound like you've practiced that speech a few times. I think that it is more likely that the more we face death, the only thing that can comfort us is sometimes the warmth of another. With so much violence and hate, people seek the reminder of love and tenderness to help them hold onto some remnant of sanity."

"You sound like you're speaking from personal experience. Do you want to talk about it?"

Her smile returned, "Maybe later. Let me warm up to you a bit more first."

He nodded, "Alright, how about you explain how you seem so different in here."

She nodded in return, "Well, quite honestly, everything is different in here. Everything is enhanced a little. The climate is perfectly controlled to simulate a certain environment. You're used to a ship of filtered air and conditioned temperatures, strictly regulated humidity levels, but in here it is a slap in the face. In here, the blunt realities of decaying leaves, bad breath and even animal shit are being simulated at a level that is intended to be a bit shocking and invoke certain memories or reactions. In here, everything is a little more intense. The problem is that people can easily get addicted to it and end up in here all the time and reject the real world. It can be a risky thing, but amazing when taken in small doses."

He narrowed his eyes and seemed skeptical, "You make a good case, but my senses are still telling me there's more to it somehow."

For the first time, she gave him a genuinely playful smile, showing him dimples and a glimmer in her eyes, "Would you be interested in helping me with a little experiment?"

His look turned a little less trusting and he replied, "What kind of experiment?"

She moved toward him slowly, her grin still in place, then placed a soft kiss on his lips. It wasn't a long one, but it was tender and when she broke the kiss, she went back to leaning on her elbow. She was looking at his eyes and contemplating something.

Unsure of just what to make of the unexpected kiss, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

She made eye contact again and replied, "Oh, just processing some memories is all. I'm trying to sort out how I feel about getting closer to you. Although our being here together was unexpected, I'm thinking that a kiss and seeing me naked is enough for a first date."

Valentine chuckled, "I hadn't really thought of it like that, but I suppose you have a point. As first dates go though, this has been a pretty good one."

Sam gave him a look of disbelief, "Oh really? Well, for starters, you invited yourself along on it. I was originally trying to have a conversation with the Captain. You know, the other nude woman you spent all that time with over there. I'm curious how you are going to count that as part of our supposed date."

He struggled to come up with something, "Well…um…maybe that part wasn't so much…"

She shook her head and smiled, "I'm just messing with you. I won't really count this as a date. I don't tend to get naked around strangers, but I'm doing my best to follow the Captain's lead and find ways to connect with the crew. I'm hoping that my little upgrades to some of the systems will help endear me to some of them. It has been a while since I made new friends and under the current circumstances, it feels more important than ever."

He stood up and offered her a hand up. She took it and stood, looking a little self-conscious again, so he looked away, "I would like to think that we've started to become friends. I'm not in the habit of kissing strangers. Perhaps we could turn this into a sort of first date and go get something to eat."

She smiled and nodded, "I would be up for that."

Feeling a bit more spring in his step once more, he stole one more glance at her before heading over toward his pile of clothes. His heart skipped another beat as he did so, thinking to himself that it was hard not to let himself get aroused with a view like that standing so close to him. He hurried over and slipped on his clothes. He had barely started to dress when she walked over, completely dressed. She was in jeans and a flannel shirt, looking every bit the girl next door.

"Where did you get…um…how did you dress so fast?"

She smiled and pointed at him. He looked where she was pointing and realized he was completely dressed. It startled him and he took a step back, "Woah!"

She giggled, "It's a holodeck. More importantly, it's my program modifications, so in here I can make almost anything happen. I think that you might like some of the other things I have in store for you as well."

He stood, shaking his head, "What are you now, the holodeck goddess?"

She giggled again, "Almost, but not quite. You would be pretty amazed at what I can do in a place like this though."

Still with disbelief clear on his face, he looked around once more, "Well, you certainly have a talent for this stuff. It's even a little scary, but I know what you mean. Growing up, my sister loved creating programs. She was always creating. At first it was drawing, then painting and sculpting. Eventually she got into writing and programming things like this. Her name was Wednesday and she was so full of life and creative ideas that she couldn't contain them. She sometimes seemed dark and brooding, but the truth was that she was so full of life and bubbling over with ideas that it frustrated her when she couldn't get them out fast enough. She was really smart and in many ways you remind me of her. She was bold and intent on breaking any stereotype people tried to fit her into. This program is something she would have loved."

Sam didn't ask, but he finally looked back at her and their eyes met once more, "She was in Denmark for a gothic writer's convention when the attack on Earth happened. It's...not been easy. The only thing I have of her are the few personal holonovels she made for me and a couple images from when we were kids."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is there any hope that she might have escaped?"

He tried to force a smile, "There is always a chance, I suppose. I don't let myself hope too hard though. It's not been easy."

She took a step closer and replied, "I know how that can feel. You want to hope, but the feeling of loss is still there, tearing you up."

He took a deep breath, "So, about that bite to eat…let's go replicate something resembling food."

Sam ended the program and they left the holodeck. She asked him how he felt about grilled steak. He rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh, it's been ages! A nice baked potato on the side, with sea salt and butter. Nothing fancy, just those basic flavors to hit your mouth like a bomb of delicious delight."

She nodded as they entered the Mess Hall and she pointed at a seat across from her. He looked confused but her expression turned insistent, so he shrugged and took a seat. She then confused him further and took her seat as well, "Close your eyes."

He narrowed his eyes in doubt, but after a few seconds relented. She then said, "Picture that steak. It's hot and juicy, cooked medium rare, the potato on the side, butter running down the side. Can you smell it?"

Oddly enough, he could, "As a matter of fact, I can. No seriously, I…"

He opened his eyes and in front of him was a plate, just as she had described it. His eyes went wide and he looked around, "What the hell?"

Her smile was getting wider by the second, "Try it!"

Cautiously, he picked up the cutlery that had also appeared in front of him and he cut into the steak. His mouth was watering just from the look of it, it was perfect. Expecting it to taste like meat loaf, he put a bite in his mouth and it almost melted him. It was amazing.

He finally swallowed it and said, "Oh my god, my mouth just had an orgasm!"

Sam laughed, "Well, I'll take that as you like it."

He looked around, "Wait, are we still on the holodeck?"

She shook her head, "No, this is something else." A steaming mug of hot chocolate materialized in front of her. She picked it up and sipped it with a devilish grin.

His eyes narrowed in concern now, "How did you do THAT?"

"One of my secrets is that because of my medical history, I can talk to the computer. I have a targeting subroutine that allows me to interface and within a certain range, I can make the replicator materialize something where I want it. I also modified the resolution and menu options."

The look of shock on his face was almost comical, "You seriously can do that? How?"

She gave a small sigh and seemed to debate how to say something. Finally, she seemed to change topic, "Your eye…I have to say it…it bothers me."

That was the last thing he expected, "What? Why? I mean, you obviously…"

She waved a hand and cut him off, "Look at me." She leaned forward a little, staring at him, "Which one of my eyes is artificial?"

He blinked a couple of times and then realized she was serious. He looked close. Her eyes were beautiful and he had to remind himself to stay on task. He even used his minor magnification of his mechanical eye to try and examine her eyes closely. Finally he gave up, shaking his head, "It's a trick question, neither of them are."

She smiled and nodded as she raised her cup for a sip, "You're right, it is a trick question, but only because both of them are."

His brow furrowed, but she pointed at his food, "You should eat that while it's hot."

He began eating again, but with a bit of a frown as he was deep in thought, looking at her as he devoured the steak. She continued to smile and said, "Listen, I'm going to talk to the CMO about upgrading you while I'm at it. You should look like you, not some Borg reject. You want people to think about you, not the eye, am I wrong?"

He continued to look at her, but said nothing. Without him asking, a glass of water appeared on the table and he took a drink. His brain was thinking at high speed now. He realized he had been staring at her eyes again when she winked at him. It made him grin and he shook his head, finally saying, "Pardon the obvious pun, but there is much more to you than meets the eye."


End file.
